Little Miss Unforgettable
by fallin.sunshine
Summary: AU. I'm trying so hard not to love you, I really am, and then KA-BAM! I tripped back into love. — NEJITEN. DISCONTINUED
1. hour of the unwanted discoveries, x

-

-

STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIED.

-

-

__**li_t_**_t_le

____**m**_is_s

_______**un_fo_**_rge_ttable

-

-

((prologue))

—i wear a _disguise_  
—i'm just your average Jane  
the super doesn't stand for model  
but that doesn't mean i'm plain  
if all you see is how i look  
you miss the super chick within…

-

-

"_Hi, I_'_m Tenten!"_

Pale, lilac eyes gaze curiously up at the girl, scanning her small body expertly; he notices a slight scrape on her knee, a thin scab already crusting over the wound, and mud streaked up and down the inside of her thigh. She grins down at him, her bright brown eyes crinkled in amusement, her cheeks flushing a delicate shade of pink. Her oak-brown hair falls down over her shoulders, shimmering copper and bronze, as well as its usual deep, earthy tone, in the sunlight.

"I like playing and football and running!"

She swings easily from the branch she's hanging on, making it all seem so wonderfully exciting, and he feels the start of a smile twitching at the corner of his lips. Her shirt is big and baggy, hanging over the edge of her denim skirt as though it was made for someone far older than her; he realises, fleetingly, that he can see straight up her skirt. She's wearing pale pink panties, but she doesn't seem to care at all; she kicks her legs upwards, swinging backwards and forwards until her muddy trainers slip straight off her feet; they fly through the air, spinning, until they land by a spiky green bush.

"I like climbing trees! I'm the best at it!"

She nods once, still swinging, as though to prove her point. Then, alarmingly, she lets go. His eyes widen, disbelief etched across his face, as his heartbeat quickens; and then he rolls his eyes. No doubt she's simply showing off— she'd land, giggling, beside him. Instead, she only lets go for a second, propelling herself upwards— she doesn't land as he expects her to. She lands heavily on the thick branch, the breath knocked out of her.

After a while, she dissolves into a fit of giggles.

"Phew! That was close! But I _am_ the best at climbing trees!"

He blinks.

She giggles.

And he blinks again.

Instead of giggling, she decides to perform another circus trick for him; she slips off the branch, hooking her legs around it and then swings backwards and forwards. She gathers speed, her brow furrowed in deadly concentration, and then she smiles at him.

"Take my hands!"

He wanders over, unsure of what to do. She is far too high up for him to reach, unless he jumps; but then she'd be supporting both his weight and hers. They would fall, that was for sure! No, she was being silly and being such a **show-off**. She wasn't any different from the other girls after all, with her silly ideas and overwhelming confidence. He was _not _going to be stupid, like her.

But he _really_ wanted to please her.

He looks up at her, uncertain, and she simply grins.

"_Trust me."_

He doesn't know why he's doing it; it's strange and unusual for him to even talk to another child, let alone trust them so easily— yet he still nods and crouches; elegantly, he pushes his body into the air and snatches at her hands. Her body shudders and he can already feel the tremendous strain her legs had to be taking. Even so, he found himself urging her on, cheering for her— in his mind, of course. Why on earth would he say anything out loud? She knows that he's supporting her, even though he weighs far more than her and she's a _girl,_ but he knows she can do it.

Of course, he has no idea what she's attempting to do.

Alarmingly, she begins to swing again. He blinks, startled for just a fraction of a second, before relaxing. After all, she _was_ the best at tree climbing. He's the best at reading and writing and adding up Big Numbers, but she's best at tree climbing. He dismisses the idea that she might be (GASP!) stronger than him and lets her do whatever she was planning. He swings backwards and forwards, gently at first and then, with a huge heave, she throws him upwards. His hands scramble at the branch, scratching at the bark and, for one terrible moment, it's as though he's not going to make it.

He tugs himself onto the branch and gazes at her, panting slightly.

She beams at him.

"Well done! I knew you could do it!"

He just shrugs and helps her onto the branch. They sit together, side by side, absolutely silent. Her hand brushes against his and he glances at her. She's staring at him, with such a fierce look of determination that he almost falls off the branch.

"You've got _pretty _eyes."

He nearly dies of embarrassment. You don't call boys 'pretty'! It was unheard of. But she smiles anyway and looks away, kicking her legs. The sunlight shines down on her chubby cheeks, casting a magical glow over her features, and she looks so pretty. Unlike all the other girls. They were icky and _wrong_; she was super-amazing and _right. _She was what girls were supposed to be.

She was special.

He waits for her to speak again.

After a moment, she does.

"_I like your eyes, Neji."_

-

-

**S**hopping** D**ay

**(hour of the unwanted discoveries****) **

-

-

I hate shopping.

It ranks just above Alarm Clocks and just below Early Mornings in my list of 'Top Ten Things I Hate.'

I hate wandering around for hours on end, picking out a bright pink shirt only to decide, just as you get to the check-out, that it would never fit you and it looks fugly anyway. I hate sitting in cramped changing rooms, hanging your clothes on the door, and then trying to squeeze into a size-whatever t-shirt as the woman outside taps her foot oh-so-patiently, waiting for you to finish. I hate the spotty teenage guys who leer at you like you're the next best thing since Britney Spears (before she went cuckoo and decided it was wacky and unique to shave all the hair off her head— one trend I'll never follow, thank you very much!) as you try on the smallest pair of shoes ever.

I hate the snotty-nosed brats who race up and down the isles, hiding in the clothes racks and then think it's cool to jump out and yell _'boo!_' at some poor unsuspecting teenager like myself. I hate the old women who tut briskly whenever they see someone showing more flesh than just their faces, before launching into the rant of the century about "when I was a girl…" and nonsense like that.

I _loathe _shopping with friends though.

Oh, the milkshake you drink afterwards I can handle. The greasy McDonald's fries you twirl between your fingers afterwards, I love. Even going home, giggly and chirpy, and trying on all of the clothes that you definitely didn't need, I can enjoy. So long as its fun and I find it entertaining, I am absolutely _fine _with it.

(…though I'd still rather be climbing trees and playing football and practicing my awesome karate kicks, but hey!)

And shopping on a Sunday is _much_ worse.

I'd rather spend my Sundays relaxing, chilling out in the flat I shared with my friend, Lee, or joking about with Sakura and Hinata. Hell, I'd rather _work_ on a Sunday, than spend my precious days off shuffling around a busy, stuffy shopping centre and trying my hardest not to sulk as my friend, Ino, plucks out a turquoise dress (complete with tacky lime-green flowers) and squeals "oh, isn't that just the cutest?"

Said friend grinned at me, waving said item of clothing in my face. I shifted backwards, already carrying at least one hundred different bags filled with an assortment of shoes, purses, bras, jeans, skirts and tops, with a few stray pairs of socks chucked in their too, and therefore stumbling slightly. She easily caught up with me, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder, and I found myself wondering just how long it had taken her to perfect that look.

"…won't hurt at all!"

Crap, she was still talking? What if she pulled a Sakura on me, stuck her hands on her hips and pulled that why-don't-you-ever-pay-attention face?

"Uh, sure, yeah—."

"Great!" She grinned, shoving the dress into my already crammed-full hands and then propelled me in the direction of the changing rooms. I swear people were yelling, "is it a bird? Is it a plane?" as I passed. Leaving my bags outside the door, in the trusty, capable hands of 'Hi, My Name Is Konohamaru!', I stepped inside the changing rooms. The smell of disinfectant still lingered in the air and I sighed.

"What have I done to deserve this? I'm a Pisces for crying out loud! Gentle, likeable, dreamy- whatever!"

_((pisces are also usually gullible and selfish. and you were born in the year of the rat))_

"Meaning...?"

_((you suck?))_

"Ugh. I hate having arguments with myself. I always win."

(Outside, Konohamaru gazed worriedly at the door, before shrugging. Girls, right? They were just born weird.)

I tugged off my checked pink shirt, smoothing out the creases and then lying it down on the bench. I straightened, gazing at myself in the smudged mirror positioned awkwardly to my right; my oak-brown hair was tied up into two buns, neatly tucked out of my eyes, and Ino had persuaded me to get a baby-ish fringe, too. My eyes were outlined in the newest Charcoal Black Eyeliner (For All Occasions), bought especially from Boots, and I blinked. I pulled off my big baggy jeans and then tugged the dress over my head; I winced as I gazed at my reflection.

Bad.

Idea.

The dress hung down over my knees and showed far too much of my almost non-existent cleavage; it made me look short and frumpy. The turquoise colour was absoluteEVIL, with a capital **E-V-I-L**. The flower pattern looked stupid as well, like someone had decided to vomit pretty lime-green flowers all over me. And, seriously...

I felt like I could glow in the dark.

"Are you done?" I heard Ino call from outside the changing room. I contemplated answering.

Snappy comeback or no snappy comeback? That is the question.

"By done, you mean 'have you put on that sucky green dress which sucks to the power of sucky-suck-suckage, with a great wallop of sucky sauce to go with it? And, oh, would you like McSucky's fries to go with that?'" I opened the door anyway and glared at Ino.

She grinned.

"But you have such nice legs!" She turned to Konohamaru. "Doesn't she have nice legs?"

The spotty teen shrugged and turned away, muttering something which sounded like, "I just carry the bags around here."

I rolled my eyes, shut the door, and changed back into my earlier outfit. I let out a sigh of relief before stepping out of the changing rooms. Konohamaru handed me the bags with an apologetic grin, before resuming whatever it was he'd been doing before. I turned to Ino and stuck up a hand before she could say anything.

"No."

One word. One syllable. Easy enough to understand too. Right?

"But—"

"Ino..."

"Come on—"

"_Ino_. I will never not ever wear that dress."

The blonde blinked, before laughing.

"I can't believe you just quoted Charlie and Lola on me."

-

-

That's me.

Tenten.

Hell, I'm not much compared to Ino. She's all bubbly and loud, with the popularity factor, and she's got a body too. She's got curves in all the right places (_big girls, you are beautiful!), _she's blonde, she's got big blue eyes and every girl wants to be her. She's easy to get along with, too.

+40 points.

However, she does get annoying after a while. She can be _too_ loud. And she's pushy and devious and knows just how to get exactly what she wants. She dates a lot, can barely keep a boyfriend, and still has half the male population queuing up to get in her pants.

-10 points.

I'm not much compared to Sakura either. She's got the brains, she's witty and she's read all of the beloved Vampire Knight chapters. She has a passion for the colour green, hates the colour pink (though, how that works out with the colour of her hair, I do not know) and she's just too sweet. And she helps me with my homework.

+50 points.

Sadly, she has some terrible mood-swings and she doesn't even have to be PMS'ing for them to happen. One second she'll be cuddly and happy; the next she'll be beating the life out of you for attempting to touch her. She rarely dates and yet all the boys love her.

-20 points.

Or Hinata. Sweet, kind, cute little Hinata— you can't hate her, can't argue with her, and she probably cares more about peace than Sakura does. She's almost like an angel who's slipped straight from heaven, down onto the earth.

+60 points.

She's absolutely perfect. Almost flawless apart from her terrible (but cute!) stutter. She blushes whenever she hears _his_ name and faints whenever _he_ touches her. Even if it's an accident. And she has almost as many boys chasing after her as Sakura and Ino.

-30 points.

Then again, they all get +100,000,000 points for hanging around with me. For being such awesome friends.

I'm feeling sentimental.

Sniff.

And me?

**Name**: _Tenten. _Seriously, who calls their child 'Tenten'? I think my parents wanted me to get bullied— luckily, it never happened, because I am the next Karate Kid.

**Age**: Seventeen.

**Extra Info**: I'm a Pisces! Caring, loving, kind... And born in the Year of the Rat too. Selfish too, apparently.

**Likes**: Karate, friends, Lee, climbing trees, teasing Lee, my flat and Kim Possible. She owns Braceface. And Sabrina. So nyeh.

**Dislikes**: Shopping, dressed and Science.

**Status**: This is my current _single status_, my declaration of independence. There's no way I'm changing places, right now a _star's in the ascendant_.

(AHEM. Besides, no one's right for me except him. And I'm not talking about Alex Evans, even though his is one hell of a cutie.)

-100 million, billion points.

So yeah.

That's me.

-

-

I yawned, stretching, as I placed my coffee mug on the table we were sat at. Ino had convinced me, somehow, to buy that awful dress, even if it was only to wear once and never again. To make up for it, though, she'd bought me a coffee and a Super Deluxe Muffin, which I'd already finished. She was sat opposite me, babbling on about her newest boyfriend, Nara Shikamaru, and how he was different to the others.

"…I mean, he has an IQ of _over 200_! That's good news, right?"

"You can copy homework off him; deffo the perfecto boyfriend," I grinned, before taking another sip of coffee. The bitter liquid scorched my tongue but hey; the burning sensation in my mouth was way better than listening to Ino ramble on. She sounded like she really liked him though, so I couldn't help but feel happy for her. And slightly protective, too. Jeez, she's had boyfriend after boyfriend and she either ends up getting her heart broken or breaks their heart. Sometimes both.

"Hey, should I dye my hair? What about a purple streak? That would be cool." Ino murmured, tugging her blonde bangs playfully.

I blinked.

"Dye it all black."

She looked at me.

I gazed back.

We both burst out laughing, trying to picture an Ino with dark hair, one midnight-black bang covering one eye. In my mind, she wore all black, her eyes ringed with the newest Smoky Black range of eye shadow, her lips painted black.

"We could name you Emo Queen and bow down to you," I suggested, snickering.

"No, no! I like Princess of the Darkness better."

"Angst Goddess."

"Vampire of the Night!"

We looked at each other.

"Sasuke-lina." I finished, making Ino burst out into hysterics and I took a sip of my coffee in triumph. Oh yeah; I rock.

My phone began to ring, a muffled noise in the midst of one of the bags, and I cursed. Immediately, I dipped my hand into one of the bags, searching through the clothes and shoes, until the ringtone grew louder and clearer.

((—everybody was kung-fu fighting! Those kids were fast as lightening… in fact it was a little bit fright'ning; they fought with expert timing—))

I glanced at the caller ID; it was Lee. What did he want? Wasn't he supposed to be training? I waited a second, before answering. "Hello—"

"_Tenten!"_ Lee shouted down the phone, his voice cheerful and loud._"How are you on this youthful day?"_

"Did you call me for any reason, Lee, or just to ask me how youthful I'm feeling?" I asked, grinning at Ino. The blonde was still sniggering from the rather bad Sasuke-lina joke but if she was enjoying herself, so was I.

"_Hinata asked me to call you! She said she couldn't get hold of you and that she had a message for you!"_

"What was it?"

"_I do not know! She missed that bit out, actually, and asked if it was okay to meet you at the flat in about five minutes. I said yes!" _Lee was definitely enjoying himself— that was for sure. He had barely given me any time to finish my coffee.

"Thanks, Lee. I'll head over now. Anything else?"

"_We need milk…?" _Lee suggested and I chuckled. _"No, there's nothing else. Say a youthful hello to Sakura for me! Have fun, Tenten!"_

"Bye Lee. Keep training and you might be able to win Sakura's heart." I joked, before hanging up. I flipped my phone shut, stuck it in my pocket, and then stood up. Ino, having finally regained her composure, sipped the rest of her Sugar-Free Latte before also standing up.

We grabbed all the bags, having already paid for the drinks, and then left.

"What did Lee want?" Ino asked, the moment we were outside and waiting for a taxi.

There was no way I was carrying all of those bags all the way to my flat.

"He passed on a message from Hinata. Apparently, it's important." I tilted my head, gazing at Ino. "You couldn't possibly know what she wants, could you?"

Ino shook her head.

"No clue, dearest."

-

-

Hinata and Sakura were already at the flat by the time we got there.

The little Hyuuga was shivering slightly, her pale blue polo-neck jumper obviously not keeping her warm enough, her hands tucked underneath her armpits. Her cheeks were flushed a pale pink and she seemed to be hopping from one foot to another, fidgeting madly. Sakura sat on the wall, swinging her legs backwards and forwards. She seemed warm enough, considering the fact that she was wearing a black pencil skirt complete with opaque tights, her blouse hanging over the top of her skirt, her pink hair tied up into a neat bun.

They waved at us as the taxi pulled up beside them; with much eyelash fluttering, Ino managed to narrow the cost down to half the price. I piled the bags on the pavement, rolling my eyes as I quickly paid the driver.

Yeah, I caught him checking out Ino's ass.

He pulled away quickly after I _glared_ at him.

You know what I'm talking about, right?

I used the** Let Me Rearrange Your** **Face Glare **(© Sabaku no Gaara)— not to be confused with the **Glare of Angst **(© Uchiha Sasuke) or the **I'll Kick Your Ass! Glare**(© Uzumaki Naruto— and it's a very rare glare indeed— saved especially for Uchiha Sasuke.).

Ah; another victory for the amazing Tenten.

I staggered up the steps, tugging the bags after me, passing Sakura with a quick nod of my head; I needn't have bothered— she was already arguing with Ino and barely noticed me. Hinata smiled gratefully as I pushed open the door, stepping to the side to let her pass. (I've no idea why she didn't just go up on her own; Hinata was just too kind and had decided to wait for me. Sweet, right?)

I nodded once to the receptionist, Anko, who waved as we passed, her dark eyes sparkling. There's something really creepy about her. Really. It might be the bite marks on her neck.

I _swear_ she's a vampire.

Except, she doesn't sparkle so she must be evil. I shall have to start wearing a cross whenever I pass her.

We stood patiently outside the elevator; yes, the very same elevator which breaks down at least three times a week and could plummet towards the ground, when at a high level, at a very deadly speed. But, hey, we love it really. You only feel the thrill of life when you're close to death.

That's what it says in the new Young Bond book, anyway.

(Not that James wasn't hot as an adult, but a kid? I'd take him over any Uchiha, any day of the week— though Sakura might disagree.)

The elevator doors slid open and we stepped inside, chatting away. Rather, Ino and Sakura were arguing, while I watched on with a smug smile on my face, and Hinata tried in vain to split the two up. Hinata pressed the button for the top floor, the elevator lurched upwards, and the elevator music began to play. Yes, the very music which makes you want to sleep standing up and slash or develop Hulk-like powers, force open the metal doors, and throw yourself out into the bottomless pit beneath you.

Personally, I _like _it.

The elevator slowly began to stop, the doors shuddered open, and we stepped outside. I tugged my keys from my pocket, unlocked the door, and then stepped into my humble flat. Well, it wasn't really _my_ flat; Lee and I both worked to pay the rent— we both worked in a little cafe, called 'Kaleidoscope'; I was a waitress and Lee worked behind the counter. Hey, it didn't pay much but it was fun.

I placed Ino's bags next to the door, switched on all the lights, and then followed my friends into the living room. Ino had made a sort of nest for herself in Lee's green bean-bag, while Hinata and Sakura sat down on the sofa. I leaned against the wall, preferring to stand.

"What's so important, Hinata?" I asked and Ino nodded enthusiastically.

The shy girl blinked, remembering why she'd phoned Lee (who'd phoned me) in the first place.

"Tenten, I c—called you a—as quickly as I c—could, but y—you weren't p—picking up your ph—phone," Hinata stuttered, smiling at me apologetically.

I grinned. "Sorry; I was having _so_ much fun shopping with Yamanaka."

"—hey—!"

"Continue, Hinata. Just ignore Ino-pig," Sakura murmured, urging the other girl on. Hinata nodded, before looking me right in the eye. Pale, lilac eyes, just like his, gazed at me, captivating me.

"N—Neji's back."

-

-

**What**what_WHAT_WHAT?

I never asked him why he left anyway.

I don't care.

Idon'tcare**Idon'tcare**_Idon'tcare_.

He can die for all I care.

((—you don't mean that—))

He shouldn't have left anyway.

I _loved_ him.

((—you still do—))

I really did.

He probably has a girlfriend now.

I'm not bitter.

**Not**not_not_not_NOT._

I never will be.

_I don't care._

I wonder if he remembers me anyway.

_I don't care!_

I really, really loved him.

He had such pretty eyes.

...

...

**Breakdown.**

...

"_Oh God, I think she fainted!"_

Pfft.

I do _not_ faint.

I just fell over my feet.

"_No, she just fell over her feet."_

He's back, though.

Back.

For.

Good.

—got a fist of pure emotion;  
got a head of shattered dreams.  
Gotta leave it, gotta leave it all behind now.

Damn Take That.

I feel like I might _cry._

"_T—Tenten... Are y—you okay?"_

I'm fine.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

My future's so bright, I've gotta wear shades.

I really, really, truly, absolutely, no-fingers-crossed, loved him.

I'm over him.

Seriously.

"_I'm fine, Hinata. Perfect, in fact."_

...

Why did he come back?

* * *

**Author's Note;**

Tch, here's the slightly rewritten version. I've decided to go through it all and tie up any loose ends. Hopefully it won't ramble as much, and it'll make more sense.  
x


	2. hour of the badly timed flashbacks, xx

-

-

STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIED

-

-

**l____it_**_l_le

**m__**_**i**s_s

**u__n____forg_**_ett_able...

-

-

((chapter one))

…and truth be told— i miss you  
…and truth be told— i'm lying  
—when you see my face, hope it gives you hell  
((hope it gives you hell))  
when you walk my way, hope it gives you hell  
((hope it gives you hell))

-

-

It took me a week of lies, three cups of hot chocolate per day and endless scoops of vanilla ice-cream for me to get over him.

I told everyone I'd gotten over him after that and I really, truly, no-fingers-crossed, believed it. I was willing to bet anything that, if he were to come back, I wouldn't give a flying toss about him. I'd thought that I'd be dating back then and happily married with two kids, a dog and a big house.

…okay, maybe not that far, but you get the drift.

Or, at least, I'd be partying and clubbing and busy_._

Busy**busy**_busy._

—insert dreamy elevator music here—

Neji smiles at me, his eyes begging and hopeful, as he kneels down in front of me. His dark brown hair falls out of his eyes and he smiles like I've never seen him smile before. (—probably due to the fact that he rarely smiles— but this is my daydream and I can make him do whatever the hell I want!) "Tenten, I'm so sorry for leaving. Would a kiss be good enough for you? Will you date me?"

I smirk, gazing down at him over the top of black sunglasses. I bend down, showing quite a bit of my (annoyingly) non-existent cleavage, and poke his forehead. "Not a chance in hell, Hyuuga. I'm so over you."

I hop onto a random black motorcycle, 'I'm A Survivor' mysteriously playing in the background, and zoom off into the distance. Can I just mention that my hair does that awesome windy thing? Yeah, you know the one; like how they do in all the movies.

Neji lets out a (girly) wail of distress.

—dreamy elevator music stops, making me blink and almost trip over my feet—

Okay, so that's never going to happen.

But I thought I'd be over him.

With a capital OVER.

Really.

Then again, he is gorgeous. With those beautiful milky, lilac eyes that seem to gaze directly into your soul and that heart-breaking smirk, it could have been a lot worse.

I could have been begging him to take me back.

…

We never really dated anyway; it was more like one of those clichéd boy—girl friendship-turns-into-romance thing, where he'd say, "huh, Tenten? She's like a little sister to me" and I'd be magically in love with him.

((—which is actually true, but screw you, world!))

So I can't see why I'm getting all worked up.

He's not even an ex-boyfriend— then again, I suppose it's somewhat worse. He is, after all, an ex-best friend.

But really, Tenten. There's quite a difference.

And you are so over him.

-

-

**G**ood** O**ld** D**ays

**(hour of the badly timed flashbacks)**

**-**

**-**

"So… He's back." Ino murmured, for what had to be the thirteenth time that hour. After I'd stumbled to my feet, she'd been sitting there with an almost—knowing smirk on her lips, speaking every now and then to see what my reaction would be.

"Shut up, Ino-pig," Sakura hissed, rubbing her forehead in annoyance. "We've gathered that much."

"Maybe we should go and say hello," the blonde suggested, completely ignoring Sakura.

I blinked.

"If by saying 'hello', you really mean 'see if Tenten tries to beat the shit out of him, while you sit there with popcorn', then no." Sakura immediately crushed the idea, glancing at me. "Besides, I doubt Tenten wants to see him—"

"—I went to see Lord of the Rings with him."

My three friends gazed at me, their expressions of concern plain on their faces, and I scowled. "What? I was just saying! You were talking about popcorn and—"

"—you had a badly-timed flashback." Sakura nodded sympathetically.

"Tenten, darling, you have serious issues— boyfriend issues." Ino agreed.

I shook my head.

"To have 'boyfriend issues', I'd have to have a boyfriend to begin with, you morons." I rolled my eyes.

Sakura and Ino blinked, turning to stare at each other as they considered this idea. Did one have to have a boyfriend to have 'boyfriend' issues?

"What a—about 'N—Neji issues'?" Hinata piped up, making me glare at her as Ino nodded in triumph.

"Yeah! You've got Neji issues!"

I can see it now—

—a stern-looking woman dressed entirely in white, carrying a clipboard, gazes at the teenagers assembled before her; she looks oddly like Ino. "Ah, Uchiha Sasuke..." She murmurs, ticking off his name on her clipboard. "I see you have 'sibling issues'. These can be resolved by several cups of green tea, a strange hairdo, and buckets of angst."

"Hn," said Uchiha simply scowls and glares at the Ino-lookalike.

"You may go. Next!" The woman nods, before gazing up at the next person. "Oh, Naruto! You're simply colour-blind, too hyperactive, and just too annoying. But who cares? You're free to go!"

"YES!" Naruto pumps his fist into the air and leaves.

The Ino-lookalike checks off his name before gazing up at the next problematic teen. Her brow furrows and she purses her lips.

"Oh dear, Tenten. It seems you have a terrible case of…"

I hold my breath.

"…Neji issues."

"NOOO!" I stare beseechingly at the woman. "What can I do?"

She shakes her head sadly. "I'm afraid, Tenten, there's nothing you can do about it. Just pray and hope for the best."

The scene freezes.

Is Tenten doomed to be single and live with twenty cats at the age of forty? Will her Neji issues ever be solved? Will Sasuke ever learn that scowling will give him wrinkles?

Find out after the break—

"—Tenten? Tenten?"

I snapped out of my daydream, blinking at my friends. "Huh?"

"…were you listening to a thing Hinata said?" Sakura asked, raising her eyebrow at me. I shook my head before smiling apologetically at the shy girl. "Hinata, repeat what you just said for Tenten, please."

"N—Neji hasn't g—got a place t—to stay, since the m—main family l—literally b—banished him for n—not doing w—what they a—asked."

"I heard they were pissed at him for leaving anyway." Ino muttered, rolling her eyes. "It's not like he cares."

It's true; Neji has the **Devil May Care** attitude down to an art.

Plus, his **Silent, Deadly and Oh-So Sexy Glare **is absolutely amazing.

It makes you _melt._ Seriously. You turn into a sticky pool of sludgy mess and your friends have to scoop you up off the ground because you've been turned into a romantic goo-monster.

"He's probably more annoyed at the fact that he won't be able to see his cute little cousin!" Sakura teased, pinching said cousin's cheek. Hinata turned a bright red and shook her head indignantly, trying to shift away from the pinkette's fingers but not wanting to look rude at the same time.

((See? Isn't she just adorable?))

I shrug, shifting slightly and folding my arms. "What's this got to do with me?"

Sakura and Ino shared another knowing glance, while Hinata shook her head repeatedly. "N—nothing, T—Tenten. I j—just thought y—you should kn—know."

Uh-oh. My Spider—senses are tingling.

Tenten, it looks like you've got another mystery on your hands.

—involving a certain Hyuuga prodigy.

**-**

**-**

Did I mention he was a prodigy?

Yup. He is. The type of person you can't help but look up to, even if he does act like a total prick. Not that I held that against him, or anything. I mean, it's probably just in his DNA. He can't help it. Hinata's dad is a bit of a prick too.

So it does run in the family.

((But only on the male side, since Hinata is as far from a prick as you can get.))

I tried to find out if he was gay twice.

Both times he found out and proved me wrong. To be fair, it wasn't entirely my fault; he never seemed to date any girls and he always looked his best. There was never an off day for the Hyuuga; he never had split ends and never got spots. And he was never sick, either.

He was so perfect it hurt.

He was extremely annoyed at me (I did try to set him up with Lee, after all) and ignored me for God knows how long.

But he can never ignore me for _that _long.

Because I can make him smile.

And _chuckle._

I can even make him **laugh** if it's a particularly good day.

I made him chuckle and I made him smile, and then he made up with me. And we went back to being the best friends ever.

Yeah, that song by Toy-Box was especially about us.

He's my best friend, best of all best friends  
—do you have a best friend too?  
It tickles in my tummy; he is so yummy-yummy  
—hey! You should get a best friend too!

…

Well, maybe not.

After all, that song is pretty crap.

It'd be hilarious to hear Neji sing it, though.

-

-

Ino, Sakura and Hinata left soon after my third cup of hot chocolate. I can't say I blamed them; I was just about to get into Serious Moping Stage and they couldn't have escaped sooner.

I scowled, flicking the kettle on before wandering back into the living room. I scooped up the TV remote, weighing it in one hand, before switching on the TV.

There had to be _something_ on which could take my mind off Neji.

I flicked on channel one and stretched across the sofa, ready to snuggle up and hopefully watch something with lots of blood and gore and crying.

"—Ian, you idiot!" An angry blonde scowls, waggling one finger at Ian. The man flinches, stepping back, gazing at her with wide, pathetic eyes.

"Jane, I-."

"Save it!" She hisses, advancing on him. "You lie, you cheat, and you're pathetic and spiteful-! You give me absolutely no reason to believe in you, whatsoever! So why should I? Why do I love you even though…?"

"…Jane…?"

"Shut up and kiss me, you useless git!"

Blonde throws herself into the arms of said 'useless git', kissing him passionately, tears trickling down her cheeks. Such a heart-felt gesture of romance, surely the audience can only—

_Click._

I chuckled nervously, a tear threatening to dribble down my cheek, and glanced furtively about. No one saw me, right? Crying at Eastenders, of all programs.

And at Ian and Jane Beale.

Everyone knows Jane should have run off with Grant when she got the chance.

I flicked over to channel two, choosing not to return to channel one in case another terrible Eastenders re-run threatens to make me cry.

"And the winner is… Rin!"

A young girl bursts into tears, hugging the oh-so-cute Dermot O'Leary in overwhelming joy, and she runs to the microphone. She closes her eyes, takes a deep shuddering breath, and then the lights dim and she starts to sing.

"You were my sun…  
You were my earth…"

Her voice is soft and beautiful. The crowd is captivated within minutes. (And the tears pour freely now. Oh, the humanity!)

"But you didn't know all the ways I loved you, no,  
So you took a chance,  
And made other plans…  
But I bet you didn't think that they would come crashing down, no…"

I flick over to channel three before I can burst into real tears.

Rin, right?

I'll buy her album, seriously.

A cute little duck ruffles its wings, glancing at a bottle-green turtle; a fluffy brown guinea pig sniffs at its cage and, suddenly, the phone begins to ring. The three animals glance at each other.

The guinea pig (named Linny) pipes up, "the phone! The phone is ringing!" And soon the other two animals are joining in with the song.

"—the phone!  
We'll be wight there!  
The phone;  
The phone is ringing!  
There's an animal in trouble;  
there's an animal in twouble!  
There's an animal in trouble some—"

"Sh—shut up!"

I can't believe I'm actually crying.

Damn those Wonder Pets and their honourable need to bring safety to the young animals of today.

Why am I _crying_?!

I stand up, shuffle over to the TV and tug the plug dramatically out of the wall; then I practically break down in the middle of the floor. "How is this fair?! God, tell me how this is fair! Why did he have to come back?!"

I sniff loudly.

"We used to be like Shaggy and Scooby! 'Friends don't quit, Scoob.' And what did he do?! He ruined it all! He left me! HE QUIT!"

Another sniff.

"I wasn't the same without him! It was like Timon without Pumba! Not that I'm saying the Hyuuga-bastard is a dirty warthog— he's gorgeous and all, but—!"

Sniff, sniff.

"_WHY?!_"

…Sniff…Sniff…

"…"

…Sniff…

"…" I paused. "Hakuna matata, Tenten…"

_Hakuna matata._

**x**

**-**

**x**

I used to plait his hair.

No, really.

He used to let me too.

I'd be bored one sunny afternoon (bored of climbing trees, playing football, and just being completely sporty) and I'd sit inside with a book. Of course, Neji hated it when I ignored him. You couldn't read in peace when he was there; if he wanted to play, you were playing.

Unless you were the Amazing Tenten, of course.

I was probably one of the only kids who could get him to do something he didn't want to do. I'd put down my book, smirk at him, and then force him to turn around. With a lot of grumbling, cursing, and scowling, he'd do it too.

And then I'd run my fingers through his silky-smooth, luscious brown hair. It was lovely and dark, and the sun made it gleam slightly; it fell neatly around his face, tucked behind his ears, and kept out of his eyes.

I'd plait the front first; plaiting the two thin bangs which he never tied up. If I could, I'd put a nice little bead at the end- otherwise, he was happy with two plaits.

Then I'd begin to braid the rest of his hair, occasionally tangling it up, but always making sure he had the nicest hair ever. I spent more time on his hair than I'd ever spent on mine (after all, how long does it really take you to put your hair up into two buns?) and I'd wanted to make it perfect.

He was, after all, the perfect Hyuuga prodigy.

After an hour or so, I'd announce that I was done and hurry off to find him a mirror. He'd never worried about hurting my feelings before, that was true, but whenever I did his hair, he made sure that he was especially polite.

He'd thank me, smirk, and then walk home.

He never took his plaits out at all.

Hell, he faced the teases from Naruto and Kiba, ignored the smirks from Sasuke, and acted like there were never any giggles from Ino or Sakura.

And I was right beside him, ready to beat the hell out of anyone who said his hair was _stupid_.

We were good friends.

Best friends.

…

He never tried to do my hair, though I offered once. He mumbled an excuse, something soft and no doubt polite, but his cheeks had burned a brief red.

I didn't understand then.

I still don't.

Damn the human mind!

…

Did you know I wanted to be a hairdresser when I was a kid?

I ended up being a Kickass Karate Kid instead.

…Wouldn't it be cool to be a ninja?

-

-

I'd finished my sixth cup of hot chocolate, and was moving onto coffee, when the phone rang. I half-expected it to be Hinata, asking how I was, or Ino, calling to see if I'd go shopping again next weekend.

Caller ID: Lee.

Well, there was a _big _surprise.

"Lee." I answered curtly.

"_Tenten!_" Once again, his voice destroyed my eardrums. "_How are you? You don't sound too well! Are you ill?"_

"Yup," I agreed, pacing backwards and forwards.

I did not have a good feeling about this phone call.

"What did you want, Lee?"

"_I have a very youthful surprise for you, Tenten! You'll never guess who turned up at the dojo this morning! I was going to tell you before but he asked me not to," _My heart sank. Oh dear. _"Hyuuga Neji, my eternal rival, of course!"_

I groaned. "Continue."

"_Sadly, on this youthful day, Neji announced that he had no place to stay…" _Lee trailed off, almost apologetically. _"So I said…"_

"He's staying over, right? D'you want me to set up the camp bed?"

"_That would be great, Tenten! We'll be home in ten minutes or so! See you then!" _He hung up, with a cheer of happiness, and I placed my phone on the table.

There were a few moments of silence.

And then I screamed.

"_WHY ME?!"_

-

-

Just.

My.

Luck.

Not only is he back in Konoha, but he'll be staying in _my_ house, mooching off _my_ food, and sleeping in _my _camp bed!

(Okay, so the camp bed is Lee's…)

WHY ME?!

Why does God hate me so?

The taxi's pulled up outside. I can see it out the window.

Crap.

-

-

I stood up and wandered over to the door, unlocking it ready for them to walk in. I sighed as I washed up, rinsing everything thoroughly and placing it sadly on the draining board. Any second now and he'll walk through that door.

Any second now…

The door swung open and I jumped almost half a foot in the air. Lee grinned back at me, his eyes wide with excitement, his grin fixed in place.

Of course, _he'd_ be happy.

_He_ isn't_ me_.

((—shush now, Tenten. He felt just as disappointed when Neji left. Don't act like he didn't beat himself up about it, because he did. You saw the bruises Sakura had to tend to.))

True.

((—and Hinata. Hinata felt sad too, seeing as they were so close. Even Naruto couldn't cheer her up for a while.))

I know.

((—so why should it all be about you?))

It isn't.

I'm just… upset.

That'll do.

Lee mouthed a quick 'he's here!' and then disappeared into the living room. The door swung shut behind him and I stood in absolute silence, gazing at it.

Footsteps pad slowly towards it.

One hand reaches out.

I hold my breath.

Then the door swings open, and he's standing there.

In all his Hyuuga glory.

"Neji."

"Tenten."

"…"

"…"

"Welcome back."

-

-

And the plot thickens.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

Gah, I just read through all of the reviews. I heart you all, seriously, and if I could send you a Neji plushie, I totally would. For now, I'll keep updating and rewriting.  
x


	3. hour of the not so epic epiphany, xxx

-

-

STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIED

-

-

_((little))_

((**M**

**I**

**S**

**S**))

((**UN**_forget_table))

-

-

((chapter two))

—i wrote a goodbye note;  
in lipstick on your arm  
—when you passed out—  
…i couldn't bring myself to call;  
except to call it quits

-

-

"Neji."

"Tenten."

"…"

"…"

"Welcome back."

A smirk twitched at the corner of his lips.

"For a second, Tenten, I thought you were happy to see me."

Stupid, smug,_ bastard_!

As if to prove my point, I flicked soapy water at him, aiming for his no doubt very expensive lilac jumper. I was going to ask him if he'd bought it from the same place as Hinata, but decided against it at the last moment.

I'd bite my tongue and act mature!

"Tch. Like I'd ever be happy to see you," I snapped. "Sakura already makes me see Sasuke every other day; I don't need to have another oh-so-pleasant misunderstood social-outcast in my life."

He surveyed me with one eyebrow raised, smirk already pasted across his face. He'd done something with his hair, at least; it was tied back neatly, unlike when we'd been younger and he'd had it down and loose. He was carrying what could only be a designer leather jacket, his hands tucked into the pockets of his designer jeans; hell, he must have been wearing more labels on him at that moment, than I would in my life.

And his eyes…

DAMN HIM.

WHY, DEAR GOD, DID HE HAVE TO LOOK SO _GORGEOUS?!_

It isn't fair!

I'm a good girl. I rarely swear, unless I totally have to, which ends up being more often than you'd think. I don't drink or smoke— okay, so, when the time comes, I can out-drink any guy, minus Kiba. And I do everything as well as I possibly can and, yet, there are people in the world (like me) who have to work to make themselves that beautiful, or even pretty! We have to buy spot cream and wear make-up and only dress our best on special occasions. Like moi!

And him…?

I bet he gets up, looks in the mirror, and thinks, "_hey, good-looking, you're mighty-fine!_"

I get up in the morning, look in the mirror, and then dive back underneath my duvet. I am not a morning person.

"And your comebacks are just as snappy as always." He rolled his eyes, startling me out of my thoughts.

I shrugged and turned away from him, gazing at the washing up. Automatically, I began to wash again, scrubbing at the plates, before placing them on the drying rack and drying them up. How there were that many plates, I do not know.

I suppose Ino decided to have a little snack.

Or maybe twenty.

But, really, who's counting?

He sighed, drumming his fingers on the door in a very un-Neji-like manner. I blinked. "Look, Tenten… I can't give you an explanation because I'm not ready to tell you why I left…"

"That was a really crappy condolence." I muttered, scowling slightly.

I was not sulking.

"Mucho thanks for your sympathy," I added, pointedly.

He rolled his eyes.

That was it.

There's only so much a girl can take, after all.

I hissed, jabbing whatever sharp object was in my hand (which happened to be a spoon) and jabbed it in his direction. "Listen here, asshole. While you were off doing whatever it was that 'you can't tell me, because you're not ready too', I was stuck here wondering where the hell my best friend had gone! You left, Hyuuga Neji, and you didn't even leave a proper goodbye note—!"

He opened his mouth to speak.

I cut him off. "—and, no, writing 'sorry, have to go' on a post-it note and then sticking it on the fridge, _next to all the other post-it notes_, does not count!"

"You _owe_ me an explanation!"

Tenten: 1, Neji: 0.

He nodded. "Yes, I do…"

"But not now."

And then he turned around and left. He walked away from me and I wasn't finished with him! I scowled, flung my spoon into the sink, and watched it land with a splash and an un-satisfying 'plop'.

((I do believe that makes it Tenten: 1, Neji: 1.))

Oh, whoop-de-doo.

A draw.

-

-

**B**lood,**S**weat** A**nd** T**ears

**(hour of the not-so-epic epiphany)**

-

-

Fingers tapped away at buttons urgently; little monkey-ninja-things jumped across the TV screen, performed a series of hand-signs and then spontaneously combusted. I moped sadly in the background, staring at the back of the Hyuuga's head, before turning to glare at Lee.

He was the one who'd put me in this mess.

He sneezed, turned around, and then grinned at me, all the while still making his retarded monkey-ninja-thing hop around the screen.

"Tenten…!"

((—i do not hate Lee—))

"Good morning, Tenten! Come and sit with us! We're in the midst of a youthful battle; which ninja is the best? Only time will tell!" He piped up, winking at me in a friendly and overly-happy manner, whilst I growled and glared in the corner.

Neji rolled his eyes.

((—i will not kill Lee—))

"Tenten! What are you waiting for? There's plenty of room next to Neji!" Lee cried, chirpily, and I rubbed my forehead.

Neji shivered, resisting the urge to glance back at me.

((—i will not think of different ways to murder Lee—))

Lee frowned and paused the game, gazing at me in confusion. For a few seconds, I felt bad. Hell, I'd even sit next to Neji if he really wanted me to, though I wouldn't enjoy it. I was about to walk over, when he spoke again.

"…Tenten? If you do not wish to sit next to Neji, you can sit on my lap."

The temperature in the room dropped to below freezing.

Neji snorted.

((—and Lee does not exist to make my life as awkward as possible.))

"I'm fine." I snapped, folding my arms.

"Good!" Lee flashed me a big grin before turning back to his game. They resumed playing, eyes narrowed every now and then; an enthusiastic grunt escaped Lee's lips and Neji's smirk seemed to widen.

My eyebrow twitched.

I was being _ignored _in my Time of Need.

((Hello! I'm going through a crisis here!))

Sadly, there are a few facts in life which can never be changed. Take a boy, an Xbox, a TV and a few games; if you shove them all in the same room, you won't get another word from them for God-knows how long. This is good most of the time.

But not when you need sympathy.

What I needed was a bit of TLC or some 'girl-talk.'

Besides, the awkward silence was seriously getting on my nerves.

With a swish of Neji's designer jacket and a slam of the door, I was out of the flat and walking down the corridor before you could say '_Tenten, why the hell have you stolen Hyuuga's coat?_'

…

Why _have_ I stolen Neji's coat?

-

-

"…So _that's_ why he's an awful prick and I hate him!" I finished, waving my hands angrily in the air as I glared at Hinata.

The younger Hyuuga nodded slightly, her head tipped to the side and I knew she wasn't particularly listening. Oh well. The fact that she'd even agreed to meet me with such little notice astounded me, especially seeing as she could be eating ramen with (gasp!) Naruto.

"N—Neji didn't t—tell you why h—he left?" Hinata asked, for the second time.

"No!"

"N—not even a l—little h—hint?" She suggested. I noticed that she sounded more than slightly hopeful and had to remind myself that she'd felt the loss of her cousin just as much as I had.

I shook my head. "Nope. Nada. Zilchus-hintus."

Her head drooped a little, but then she smiled at me. "Well, h—he did s—say h—he'd tell y—you when h—he was r—ready, though, r—right?"

I considered this. "Yeah, I suppose so. He just said he wasn't ready to explain…" A pause. "And then I threatened him with a spoon."

There was an odd silence.

Hinata stared at me incredulously. "A s—spoon…?"

"Yep."

"You c—couldn't even u—use a knife o—or a f—fork?"

"Nope."

"…no s—sporks?"

"…"

"…"

"Why would you threaten someone with a _spork_?"

Hinata began to giggle and I was soon laughing after. That's the other problem with Hinata; she finds almost anything and everything funny, and has the most contagious laugh ever. It's probably why she likes Naruto; she finds him funny and interesting and funny and brave…

And funny.

We finally began to stop giggling and sighed, mirroring each other exactly. I had to remember that I wasn't the only one completely annoyed with Neji, and that his younger cousin probably hated him equally.

Well, not _hate_ exactly.

Hinata doesn't hate.

She's probably just disappointed with him.

"H—have you b—been to s—see Sakura?" She asked, brushing a stray strand of soft, midnight-black hair out of her eyes. (Might I add that Hinata does have a wonderful head of hair? It's so dark that it's most certainly black, but with a faint tinge of blue to it. Simply gorgeous.)

"No."

It's common knowledge. If you're having trouble _catching_ a boy, you go to Ino. If you want to _complain_ and slash or _giggle_ over a boy, you talk to Hinata.

But if you want to know how the guy's _feeling_, you go to Sakura.

She does all the touchy-touchy emotion stuff.

What do I do?

I'm the amazing Bounce-Back Kid!

I'm the one you go to if you have to _get over_ a boy!

Now, what does that say about me?

"Maybe y—you should t—talk to h—her," Hinata offered, before smiling sheepishly. "I m—mean, she w—would be the r—right person t—to talk w—with, after a—all. She h—helped me w—with N—N—Naruto."

"Why aren't you two dating yet, by the way?" I asked, nudging her pointedly. "Aren't we a pair? I'm going to complain to Sakura and you're going to be completely changed by Ino- and just so that we can make the guy we like_ see_ us and slash or _talk_ to us."

Hinata giggled. "A—actually, I d—don't need to s-see Ino. N—N—Naruto said h—he liked m—me just the w—way I am."

I chuckled and patted her back. "And when you two are finally dating, you can teach him how to eat food and not inhale it."

"I'll w—work on i—it."

I chuckled.

"A—and Tenten, isn't that N—Neji's c—coat?"

I have never left a house faster than I did then, in my life.

…

Probably.

-

-

I'm all for female rights and stuff like that, and I admire many women in the today's entertainment.

For example, picture Tsunade. With her figure, she was told she'd only make it as a glamour model or, alternatively, a stripper. She went on to become a professional boxer who could beat many of the male contestants and still managed to look very good when she was sweaty and had a black eye. Now she's sixty, has an autobiography out, and everyone knows her name.

She's living the good life now.

Or, on another note, let's picture Hayden Panettiere. She's well known for her role as the blonde cheerleader in heroes, has an uberly-cute boyfriend, and regularly protests for causes that she believes in. (Such as the entire 'save the dolphins' or the 'save the whales' protests.) Plus, she's gorgeous and has the best hair ever.

Me + Female Rights = Epic FAIL.

My school report only got a C+.

Ino doesn't really care; the entire simpering girl thing helps her image, y'know? Hinata probably does care but is far too shy to say anything about it and, as I've just pointed out, I absolutely suck at protesting.

So, _who ya gonna call?_

SAKURA!

Which is why walking into Sakura's room is like stepping through the Hall of Intelligent, Amazing and Drop-Dead Gorgeous Women of Today.

There are multiple pictures of a stunning Tsunade, a fabulous poster of Hayden looking gorgeous plus one hunky boyfriend holding her hand and a couple of photos of a famous nurse called Shizune. There are pictures of her family, pictures of her pets and right at the end is a photo of us at around twelve years old. Sakura's stood at the front, dressed in a very un-Sakura-like green dress, hanging onto Ino's hand. Said blonde is dressed pretty much the same as usual; figure-hugging white shorts and a rather low-cut blue shirt. Hinata honestly looks wonderful, even if she's only wearing a simple white shirt and a denim skirt.

And then there's me.

I'm dressed in ripped, baggy _boy's_ shorts and my knees are bruised and scratched; my stripy red and black vest would only look good on a pirate, too.

I had absolutely no taste in clothes.

And yet, it's my favourite photo ever.

"Tenten!" Sakura lay on her bed, kicking her legs backwards and forwards, as she flashed me a grin. "What can I do for you?"

I considered whining and telling her everything.

I considered stomping my foot and throwing an all-out tantrum.

I considered everything.

And settled on the easiest solution.

"Neji's being an arse," I scowled. "And I need to know why."

"An elaboration would be nice." Sakura rolled her eyes, turning over to face me.

I sighed and plonked myself down next to her, sprawling out across the remaining space on her bed. I met her gaze and then told her my entire sad day (so far). "…so _that's_ why he's an awful prick and I hate him!" I finished, an odd sense of déjà vu running through me.

There's a glitch in the Matrix.

"And you're sure he hasn't given you any hints?" Sakura asked and I rolled my eyes.

"Hinata asked me this."

"I'll assume you said 'no' or something along those lines." She chuckled. "No, I mean, does he look away when he speaks to you? Or anything un-Neji-ish which he's started doing?"

"How would I know?!" I groaned, thumping my head against the bed in anger. "I've only been speaking to him for a day!"

"Then I've got no idea," Sakura said, as patient as ever. "But, if you're willing to listen and calm down, I do have some advice for you."

I really need to thank her.

I mean, I can be a real snappy idiot to her and she just ignores it.

She's definitely the forgiving type— if you're someone she likes.

"Pray tell, O Holy One." I beamed at Sakura, waiting for her to continue.

"Be yourself." She held her hand up to stop me from talking. "Yes, I know it sounds cliché, but it's what you've got to do. If you show him that just because he came back hasn't changed anything between you and him, or you and anyone else for that matter, you'll seem less vulnerable. Since, complaining to me and Hinata doesn't exactly say 'I'm over you', does it?"

I smiled sheepishly.

Sakura laughed. "On a side note, I've got time on my hands and I'm feeling girly. Mucho makeover time."

I rolled my eyes. "Only a bit then."

"Your wish is my command."

-

-

I stepped out of Sakura's house feeling like a completely new woman. I looked amazing, smelt fabulous _and _I was _really_ over him.

I'm not just saying that.

If someone had walked up to me and said "Gasp, Neji's back!" I would have rolled my eyes and asked "Who?" I was just that confident in myself.

Not only was I talking the talk, but I was walking the walk.

Oh, God bless you, cheesy line of doom!

My new soundtrack:

—all the women who are independent  
Throw your hands up at me!  
All the honeys who makin' money  
Throw your hands up at me!  
All the mommas who profit dollars  
Throw your hands up at me!  
All the ladies who truly feel me  
Throw your hands up at me—

And no, I _can't _get down like that.

I was ready to face anything or anyone.

I didn't bother catching a taxi; I purposely walked through the park, searching for any hunkalicious hunks. (_"If you've got it, flaunt it!" _Listen to the Bratz, children. They may be annoying but they sure as hell do know what they're talking about.)

Does Kiba count?

And I'm sure Shino's pretty smexalicious underneath that huge coat of his.

The dog-boy wolf-whistled before wandering over, tugging Shino along with him, as Akamaru bounded along by his feet. "Tenten!" He cheered, coming to a stop in front of me. A pause. "Nice coat. It smells familiar."

Oops.

Busted.

"Does that mean Neji's back?" Kiba pointed at said jacket, grinning a familiar lopsided grin. Aw, I really love Kiba. He's so cute but so not my type.

"Yep."

"And, seeing as you're wearin' his coat, are you two back together?" Kiba's grin became even wider. "Or have you just thrown a Tenten and stolen his coat?"

"I regret that," I scowled. "And we never were together in the first place!"

"Suuure…" Kiba sniggered. "Ah, whatever. I was whoopin' Shino's ass at football. Wanna join in?"

I shook my head. "No chance. Sakura would kill me if I smudged this make-up." I grinned and pinched Kiba's cheek. "But it was nice to see you again—"

"—heh, you only walked through the park because you knew I'd be here." He gloated, grinning charmingly.

"—and you too, Shino. I'll tell Hinata you said 'hi'…?" I paused, waiting for Shino to respond.

He simply nodded.

Talkative, right?

"'kay, Tenten. Just remember that he's not good enough for you, anyway." Kiba nodded knowingly, before ruffling my hair (much to my annoyance). "And quit wearin' make-up and girly stuff! Play football some time soon, 'kay?"

"Sure, dumbass."

I resisted the urge to hug him, not because I liked him but just because I had that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you talk to someone you haven't spoken to in God-knows-how long. Instead, I grinned again and began to walk away.

With an extra wiggle in my hips.

Kiba wolf-whistled again and I couldn't stop the giggles.

((—burn in hell, Hyuuga.

I don't need you anymore.

I'm young, I'm pretty and I've still got it!

…

I'll get you back.

And then we'll call it a truce—))

I whistled as I walked, resisting the oh-so-tempting urge to skip.

I wasn't _that _willing to embarrass myself.

After my little encounter with Kiba and Shino, it took me barely any time to get back to the flat. I pushed open the door and stepped inside, waggling my fingers at Anko as I passed. She blinked, surprised, before mumbling. "Feeling cheery today?"

"Me, cheery?" I replied, not bothering to look at her. "Don't do drugs, Anko. They're messing with your head."

"I don't—"

I stepped into the elevator, effectively shutting her up, and travelled slowly to the top floor. There were a few bumps along the way and I was sure the elevator would need fixing soon; I'd have to remember that important fact for later.

I literally skipped down the corridor, so overjoyed with my new make-up, and unlocked the door. With a grand "I'm _hooome_!" I stepped inside the little flat and walked briskly into the living room. I rolled my eyes briefly.

They were still doing exactly what they'd been doing when I'd left and it looked like they'd only stopped to get dressed.

I glanced at the dirty bowls next to Lee.

And, apparently, they'd had breakfast.

"Tenten! We wondered where you'd gone; it's got so late!" Lee cried, his eyes still glued to the TV screen.

I rolled my eyes again.

"It's half past twelve, Lee."

Lee smiled sheepishly, glancing quickly up at me; within seconds, Neji's little ninja-thing had Lee's monkey-king in a headlock and Lee was instantly K.O'd.

"Give me that," I yawned, tugging the control out of a surprised Lee's hands and proceeding to beat the crap out of Neji's ninja-thing.

_((—a small smile tugs at his lips and he realises just how much he's missed her—))_

Lee grinned at me, obviously relieved that I was 'back to normal', as Ino would have put it, and Neji pursed his lips in concentration. Hell, I could totally whoop his ass at any game, hands down. The only person I can't beat is Shino, and that's because he's a super-genius.

Sort of.

And I let myself smile because, hell, I deserved it.

And besides, owning his ass on some ninja-game was nothing compared to what I have in store for him.

-

-

I'm not mean.

I decided that as I lay tossing and turning in my bed, worried about whether or not I was going to do the right thing. Would I really make Neji feel like how I'd felt when he'd left?

Or was I just making the wounds worse for myself?

I'd definitely have approval from Ino; that was for sure. 'If he doesn't like you, make him like you!' She comes up with wise sayings like that almost every day.

Sakura wouldn't have liked it, but she would have gone along with it just because we're BFFL.

And Hinata?

It was her cousin, after all.

She wouldn't like it. But she wouldn't say that.

She'd smile and nod and bottle up her words.

_That_ would make me feel bad.

So I'm not going to tell them.

I'll put my plan into action tomorrow and I'll show Neji that I don't need him; I am totally over him. Then again, that's yet another lie.

A great-big, nasty, lie.

I didn't expect much from myself.

But…

I.

Am.

Not.

Mean.

It's his fault.

It always will be.

I'm never, ever, ever going to forgive him.

NEVER.

…

And I'll never fall in love with him.

**-**

**-**

((—DUN-DUN-DUN!  
EXTRA STORY—))

-

-

Dark cerulean eyes closed in annoyance; she ran one dainty hand down her face and pursed her lips in anger. She let out a sigh and scowled, turning over in her bed to face the wall, angry with herself for acting so… so…

_Blonde._

She shook her head, gritting her teeth. "I did _not _play up to the typical stereotype of a blonde girl. I did not."

She could say that now, that was true, but did she believe it?

No chance in hell.

"He was totally laughing at me!" She moaned, glowering darkly at the wall. "He was laughing all the way through the date!"

In fact, the only reason why she hadn't appeared as a guest star on the _Tenten Show,_ was simply because she was off performing in her own show.

The 'How To Look Like a Fool, But Still Look Fabulous' Show.

She could remember the question clearly.

Oh, so clearly.

"_Ino, what do you think of chess? Are you any good at it?"_

Why he'd asked her that while out to dinner, she did not know! All she knew now was that it was wrong of her to date someone with an IQ of over 200.

Frankly, Ino wouldn't touch an IQ test with a ten-foot spear.

She was terrified of the results.

The date had been going amazingly- perfectly, even. They'd spent the first half of it at his house, just chatting in his room. She'd flirted outrageously with him, counting up every time he blushed (_twelve times_) and they'd shared sarcastic moments. It had been romantic in a very un-Ino-like way.

Ino's usual boyfriends would simper and swoon over her; they were as tall as skyscrapers and usually all modelled around a certain Uchiha (who she no longer fancied, she just thought he looked hot- difference, okay?) and were as thick as bricks.

God-bless the day they say something intelligent.

But Shikamaru? She'd gone for a change- that was for sure. He was handsome and amazing and clever. He was only just taller than her and he was lazy; she'd soon discovered after meeting him, that they were a match made in heaven.

The only thing wrong with him was his **Ex-Girlfriend of Doom**.

They'd gone out for dinner, choosing to go to a posh restaurant down the road rather than be teased by his parents; they'd even sat in beautiful seats, in the balcony, with an amazing view of Konoha City.

And then _she'd _walked in.

"Hi, Shikamaru," She'd punched his elbow playfully; from the way Shikamaru had suddenly looked depressed, Ino had known something was up.

Who knew Temari was secretly the 'You-Can't-Dump-Me-Until-I-Say-So!' type of girlfriend?

She wasn't as pretty as Ino- that was for sure. Her hair had split ends, she frowned too much and she looked like she was way older than them.

However, Ino did notice the two smexalicious hunks standing next to her.

The tall one wore a dark hoody, his brown fringe hiding most of his face, and was that pink eye shadow? Okay, smexalicious, that was for sure, but so totally gay.

And the other one? He was a lot shorter than Ino and looked like he'd be the type of boyfriend you'd want to pick up and put in your pocket, they were just that cute! Smexalicious with a trillion smexy pink sparkles on top!

Anyway, back to the story…

Ino had smiled and said hello in a polite manner; she'd been friendly and kind. She'd even gone out of her way to offer her a hand to shake; but no, Temari had turned it down.

**E-GoD **had turned around, smiled at Shikamaru, and said, "So you do like them blonde, right? I thought as much."

Truly.

Devious.

Ino knew exactly what Temari was doing.

After all, she'd played that game before.

She was the Master at it.

"How many brain cells has this one got? Five? Ten?" Temari grinned, before ruffling Shikamaru's hair. "Compared to her, I'm practically brunette, right?"

"Haven't you ever watched Legally Blonde, Temari?" Shikamaru drawled, glancing at Ino. After all, that was one of the many subjects they'd talked about in his room.

Ino smirked back at him.

"Yeah? I bet this one can't even play chess." Temari finished, grinning in triumph.

Silence.

"Ino, what do you think of chess? Are you any good at it?" Shikamaru asked, sounding genuinely curious.

Don't sound too blonde, don't sound too blonde-.

"I've never played," She admitted, still smiling. "It's the type of game which bores me, sadly."

There was an awkward silence.

The tallest smexalicious boy (who shall be branded Smexy 1, due to the fact that our heroine of this little filler episode still doesn't know his name) had the decency to shake his head in warning, before resuming his best statue impression.

Smexy 2 simply rolled his eyes and looked away.

"Ha! See you around, Shika." Temari grinned, before almost-skipping away.

Shikamaru sighed. "Boring…?"

"What?" Ino asked, before biting her lip. "You like it, don't you? Oh God, Shikamaru—"

"It's not a big deal." Shikamaru glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "I could teach you, if you want."

"That'd be great; more time for me to keep you to myself," She'd paused, before grinning sadistically.

"…Shika."

So it hadn't been _that_ bad.

Ino sniggered, gazing at the wall. She'd earned herself one more enemy; she'd have to watch out for Temari that was for sure. And she'd be learning how to play chess which wasn't exactly what she wanted to do, but hey! It could be worse.

—Shikamaru, with his good-looks, lazy charm, and his brilliant IQ, was definitely a keeper.

* * *

**Author's Note;**

I still don't hate Temari; hell, she's definitely one of the cooler chicks— but I totally support Shikamaru and Ino. And I support Ino in general.  
Mucho thanks to everyone who has reviewed.  
x


	4. hour of the badly planned plans, xxxx

-

-

STANDARD DISCLAIMED APPLIED

-

-

**l**_i__T____t_____l_____**e**

_**m**__I__**s**____s_

u__n___F___**o**_____**r**______g_____**E**_____t____t____a___**b**__l___**E**_

-

-

((chapter three))

—when the rainy days are dying,  
gotta keep on, keep on trying  
—all the bees and birds are flying—  
—never let go, gotta hold on and;  
non-stop 'til the break of dawn and  
keep moving— don't stop rocking…

-

-

I'm not Ino.

I can't bat my eyelashes and charm a boy with a few simple pick-up lines. I don't pick out all the designer clothes and I don't look fabulous the moment I step out of my room. I don't have curves in all the right places, I eat too much chocolate, and my bum's too big.

I'm definitely not Ino.

But I'm not Hinata either.

I don't get along with everyone I meet and I always open my big mouth without thinking my words through. I could never forgive within a snap of my fingers and I lie and I cheat and I play tricks on people.

So I could never be Hinata.

And Sakura?

Hell, no.

I could never chat to everyone equally, could never get along with complete strangers, and I really am too sarcastic for my own good. I could never become so passionate about one thing and I'd never work towards my dreams.

I'm not like Sakura.

So, who am I?

Do you really, honestly, want to know?

I'm afraid, if I tell you, I'll have to kill you.

…

I'm a lying, cheating, insulting, evil genius.

And I plan on taking over the world.

_-Insert evil laugh here.-_

Okay, so I'm not that either.

So I do lie and I do cheat and, hell, I'm Miss Sarcasm, thank you very much! But, then again, I'm easy to talk to, not to hard to get along with, and I'm entirely forgettable.

I'm the type of person you meet once, add to your MySpace, and then never talk to them again. I'm absolutely, entirely, nothing-less-than, forgettable.

I'm definitely not Little Miss _Un_forgettable.

-

-

**E**nd** O**f** A**ll** L**ogic

**(hour of the badly-planned plans for world domination)**

**-**

**-**

I yawned, wiping the sleep from my eyes as I shuffled into the kitchen. It had been exactly one week and three days since Neji had turned up at my doorstep, alongside my happy-go-lucky roommate, and things had been going fine for me.

Well, after my initial breakdown…

And after flirting shamelessly with Kiba…

And after three-hundred-trillion makeovers from Sakura…

After that, everything had gone fine!

Because, you see, I'd got an idea.

An awful idea!

I got a wonderful, awful idea!

You see, if I couldn't beat Neji by getting over him, which meant I just couldn't forget him, and then I couldn't find myself another boyfriend, I'd decided there was only one thing I could do.

It was a bad idea.

I'd known it from the beginning.

But, hell, don't you just love bad ideas? At first, they make you feel smart. Then you get the dawning realisation that there's no way in hell that they'd ever work. After the first realisation, you realise something else.

If they're not going to work, what's the harm in trying?

So you do them anyway.

And, if you look at Fred's plans and think of Mystery Inc., then you just know it's got to be true!

The _bad_ plan always catches the _bad_ guys.

See?

Therefore, my _bad_ plan should catch my _bad_ boy.

(AKA; Neji.)

And what on earth could my bad idea be?

Oh, wouldn't you like to know?

It's simple really and oh-so easy.

Absolutely fool-proof.

You see, to make my plan work, you just had to make said 'bad boy' jealous. Then he'd realise just how much he'd lost and what a bad idea it had been in the first place and KA—BAM!

You punch him in the face and walk away laughing.

What an amazing plan!

…it's a shame that I'll definitely mess it up.

"Tenten." Neji's voice startled me rather rudely from my thoughts. I blinked and shook my head, effectively clearing myself of any of my earlier thoughts and glanced in the direction of the kitchen.

I blinked.

I blushed.

And then I sniggered.

Neji scowled back at me, his hair tied back neatly and his lilac eyes narrowed in obvious annoyance. He was already dressed, from what I could tell, and his jeans were a bit too long; they hung over his feet, making it easy for him to trip up— which he would have done, if he wasn't so damn purr-fect!

However, that wasn't why he was so pissed off.

Neji's a naturally neat person; I knew from childhood experience that he hated mess. He hated falling over and scraping his knees; he never had any cuts or bruises, making him the complete and utter opposite of me. Therefore, during cooking, he always wore an apron.

It's just; all of the aprons in our flat had been bought by Ino. After the initial Christmas present, it became tradition; I'd buy her an apron and she'd buy me one, as well as other presents.

Therefore, much to Neji's discomfort, he was wearing a bright pink apron, complete with bright red heart plus one inappropriate slogan (which Ino had bought me for my birthday, kthnx);

'_Fuck the Cook And You'll Get Food.'_

"…"

"…"

"…Nice apron, Neji."

"…"

"It suits you."

"…."

"It really brings out your manliness, you know?"

"…die."

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that."

"Just die."

I burst out laughing, grinning at the Hyuuga prodigy who was looking fabulously camp in his wonderfully camp apron.

All he was missing were Elton John glasses.

"What are you making anyway?" I asked, stifling my laughter.

Neji grunted and shifted to the side, so I could get a better look at my breakfast. I had to resist the urge to hug him; he was just being so cute!

In front of him, laid out neatly and professional on three slightly-cracked plates, was a huge breakfast. There was a golden-brown waffle each, three streaks of mouth-watering bacon and a crispy hash brown. My plate was void of any baked beans, luckily, and I felt my heart ache; he'd remembered that I hated the damn things, after all those years! Instead, he was cooking an egg for me and I could see it sizzling slightly in the frying pan.

I smirked slightly.

"Aw, breakfast? For me? How manly of you!"

"…hn."

I considered my options; I could act like a prick and leave, I could say thanks and leave, or I could stay.

Or…

Oh, screw it!

I crept towards him and wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my head against his back. He tensed at my touch before relaxing considerably; my face softened into a smile.

"Thanks, Hyuuga."

"…"

"I missed your breakfasts."

"…I missed you."

…

3

**2**

_1_

…

Woah!

Hold up!

WHAT THE _HELL_?!

HOW DARE HE SPRING SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON ME?!

Be calm, Tennie…

He's just a boy.

He doesn't understand your pain.

Seriously.

"Neji, you asshole!" I snapped, before I could stop myself and immediately tugged my arms away from him.

Without a second glance, I marched out of kitchen.

_((—he blinks and raises an eyebrow. Was he supposed to understand what that was all about?_ …_Oh well._ _He continues making breakfast, oblivious to the angry, hurt and oh-so betrayed teenage girl sitting in the front room._ _After all, he's sure she's just PMS'ing—))_

**-**

**-**

"…Hinata?" I murmured down the phone, cupping my hand against my mouth so that no one could hear me. Especially not him. If he heard me, I'd die of embarrassment. "Hinata, are you there?"

"_Tennie, it's two 'o' clock." _She mumbled back, yawning pointedly.

"I know, I know. …Listen, is it all right if I come round?"

"…_Hm? W—why?" _A pause. _"Has something h—happened?"_

"I… I don't think I can do this any more."

"_Do what? What did h—he say?"_

"…he said he'd missed me."

Silence.

"I don't think he knew, Hinata."

"_Oh, Tennie."_

More silence.

"_Why didn't y—you t—tell him?"_

"…"

"…?"

"Because I thought he knew."

"_...T—Tenten..."_

"I thought he liked me too."

And then I lost it.

So much for keeping yourself together, Tenten! You called Hinata, you practically _begged _her to get Neji to go away, and now you think you can't face the consequences? Red eyes, sniffing and hiccupping...

But which obnoxious asshole thought it was okay for Lee to eavesdrop on me?!

Dear Lord. I really hate you right now. Lots of love, Tennie. xxx.

"Tenten?"

"Lee?!"

"Uh..." He paused, glancing at me and then looking quickly away. I blinked, wiped my eyes, blinked again and then began to cry.

Again.

"…are you okay, Tenten?" He asked, fidgeting uncomfortably again. God, how long was he going to stand there just staring at me? Couldn't he see I was having a major crisis?! "Do you want…? Do you want…?" He frowned, trying to figure out what I wanted.

So, to save him the trouble, I practically threw myself at him. He patted my back awkwardly, as I clung onto him for dear life, sobbing quietly into his shoulder.

I am ashamed.

ASHAMED.

There are no words which can describe just how ashamed I was, so I will settle for 'I was very, very, very, very, very, very, VERY ashamed.'

When I'd pulled myself together, wiped my eyes, and thanked Lee, I tip-toed upstairs. I packed pyjamas, a tooth-brush, a hair-brush, and an extra pack of tissues. Then I almost fell down the stairs— I was just that eager to get away— and left Lee standing bewildered in the hall.

At least, that's what I _tried _to do.

Because, at the last moment, Lee wrapped his arms around my waist and gave me another hug.

I blinked.

"Tenten, if you ever feel sad again, tell me, okay? Because, when you're sad, I feel sad." Lee muttered, and I could tell he was embarrassed. "It's nothing silly like loving you! You're pretty and very nice, but I know you already like someone else."

It was _that _obvious?!

"But!" He continued. "You're like a little sister, and a best friend, to me. So let's not keep any more secrets."

I paused. I was older than him, really, but overall, I understood what he was trying to say. I mean, he was like a best friend, plus the most embarrassingly awesome brother that I never had, too. And I really, really loved him.

He's the equivalent of Hinata, Sakura and Ino rolled into one. It's not that I love him more than them; hell, all four are joint first _(second?)_ on my 'People I Love' list; but I've known him for longer.

BFFL since I taught him how to swing from a tree as a kid.

"Friends don't quit, Tenten."

...

Quoting Shaggy?!

He's a man after my own heart.

Srsly.

"I know, Lee; and I won't keep any more secrets."

And then, after giving him another hug, I departed to Hinata's house.

**-**

**-**

"…he s—said that?" I nodded earnestly, and Hinata frowned. "It's n—not like N—Neji to be so d—dense. I mean, h—he's normally in tune w—with a girl's feelings; i—it's how h—he knows when they're n—not happy, when h—he should cheer t—them up; according to I—Ino, he draws w—with Sasuke on the 'M—Most Wanted As A B—Boyfriend' list."

I scowled.

"Not helping, Hinata."

"S—sorry, Tenten," She smiled apologetically at me, and then frowned again. "Oh dear, Tennie; y—you've certainly gotten y—yourself into a big m—mess, haven't y—you?"

"I know." I sighed.

"And what a—are you going t—to do about i—it?"

"Huh?" I blinked.

Wait…

Wasn't it _her_ job to tell poor ol' _me_ what to do?

"I c—can't help you, T—Tennie." She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I know y—you, Tenten; I bet y—you keep telling y—yourself that y—you can get o—over him, and that h—he isn't worth it— because that's what y—you did the f—first time he l—left."

I nodded.

"…and I b—bet you keep coming u—up with silly p—plans to help y—you get over h—him." She continued.

"Like comfort food." I cut across.

"Exactly." Hinata nodded, before sweeping a stray piece of midnight-blue hair out of her eyes, and gazing at me with large, patient eyes. "S—so what do y—you plan on d—doing about it? T—tell me your l—last evil plan f—for world d—domination."

I blinked.

"Hinata…?"

"Y—yes?" Immediately, Hinata's smile flickered and her eyes turned apologetic. "I'm sorry, T—Tennie; I thought it'd b—be better if you c—could figure the a—answer out yourself."

"…"

"…?"

"I really love you."

She beamed at me. "So it w—worked?"

"Yup."

"Do y—you want to t—tell me about it?"

"About what?"

"Your p—plan."

"My plan…" I frowned.

"…you h—haven't got one, h—have you?"

I shook my head, frowned, and then grinned. My grin grew wider as I nodded my head; "I'm just going to be myself. No acting tough, no silly little plans; I'm going to be myself and have fun, just like Sakura told me. I'm going to work everything out on my own, just like you said." I beamed, pleased with myself.

"That's my little plan for world domination."

-

-

_I come home, in the morning light,  
My mother says 'when you gonna live your life right?'  
Oh mother dear, we're not the fortunate ones;  
And girls they want to have fun…_

Oh girls just want to have fun!

Amen, Cyndi-sweetie.

Amen.

**-**

**-**

I walked through the park again.

Naughty me, I know; but I wanted to see Kiba and Shino. As selfish and shallow as it sounds, they made me feel happier and prettier and far more attractive. They made me feel like Ino or Sakura; Kiba, with his cheesy pick-up lines, and Shino, with his out-of-the-blue, entirely awkward, comments.

There was a familiar wolf-whistle.

I grinned, pretending to flick my imaginary long, blonde hair over my shoulder, and wandered over to Kiba.

Kiba grinned, waving, and then put on a high-pitched voice and trying to sound surprised. "Tenten?! Tenten!"

I sniggered.

"Tell me about it… _stud._"

He laughed and patted me on the back, before tugging Akamaru away from me; "Down boy, down! If anyone's goin' to look up her skirt, it'll be me!"

"Bite me, Dog-Breath."

"You wish, Karate Kid."

Shino, who'd been standing very quietly in the background and doing an excellent impression of a statue, rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue impatiently. Almost immediately, Kiba turned around, frowned, and then nodded.

I blinked.

"Y'know, I used to think you two were gay, what with this 'I'm the only one who understands him!' business."

Kiba rolled his eyes and nudged me playfully. "Come on, give me credit. If I were gay, don't you think I'd find someone better lookin'?"

"Hey! I'm sure Shino's a smexalicious hunk underneath his coat and sunglasses!"

"Ooh, Shino; I think Tenten digs the Eskimo look."

Shino scowled and I elbowed Kiba back. "Be nice to the poor blind boy," I teased, winking at Shino; his scowl widened and Kiba high-fived me.

"Anyway, what brings you to this side of the park?" The tanned brunette asked, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and lounging on my back. I rolled my eyes pointedly at Shino, who shrugged, turning away with a smirk on his face.

He was _evil_.

"I wanted to play football."

Silence.

"Really?" Kiba paused, peering over the top of my head so that a few strands of his hair fell across my line of vision. "'cause, y'know, you haven't wanted to play footie in a long time; ever since you started gettin' all lovey-dovey with Mr Lover-Lover."

I stifled my laughter.

Neji = Mr Lover-Lover?

"So, what, are you Mr Bombastic then?"

"Ker—ching, Tenten; got it in one." He patted my head, laughing. "But, seriously, what's with the big change? 'Cause, when you dumped me, Tennie, it truly broke my heart."

"I didn't dump you! I just decided I didn't want to break my nails any more; and do you know how hard it was to get the mud off my favourite trainers?"

Kiba paused, scratching his head thoughtfully; thus, Shino thought it was his turn to speak.

"Tenten, there is a rumour that you have let Neji stay at your flat, with you and Lee." He frowned, pushing his sunglasses further up his nose. "I have come to the conclusion that this would cause you much discomfort; therefore, it cannot be true."

…

I seriously had no idea what to say.

When Shino put it like that…

Damn.

I was such an idiot.

"He is, right?" Kiba paused, before roaring with laughter; even Shino smirked a bit, as I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly. "God, what an idiot! Tenten, this is an all—time low for you. Well done!"

I pretended to bow. "I try."

"You have no need to." Shino rolled his eyes. "It seems you are a natural."

"If you mean I'm a complete natural at creating awkward situations and making an utter fool of myself, then you're absolutely correct," I shrugged, before grinning slightly. "Now, are we going to play football, or what?"

"Yeah, but I'll whoop your ass." Kiba grinned, before racing over to get the ball.

"You're on!"

-

-

If you think you're at an all—time low, then stop and take a good look at yourself.

Stop and look at yourself from someone else's shoes. Think of how your best friend might see you, or how your parents, or your brother, or even the one you love. Stop and think.

It worked for me.

It'll work for you.

…

Woah.

I swear that sounded deep.

Almost.

-

-

I was utterly confident as I marched back into the house; I'd waved at Anko, the elevator hadn't broken down, and I hadn't lost my front door keys; so there was no reason for me to feel anything other than happiness.

I was completely, and entirely, confident.

"Tenten!" Lee called, waving at me from the sofa. "I hope it isn't too much of a big deal; some of my friends are staying over! We will have a youthful—! What do you call it, Tenten?"

"Sleepover." I informed him, beaming at him.

I swear he looked worried.

"Right!" He nodded and I walked into the living room. There wasn't much space in our flat, so I wanted to make sure that I knew exactly who was there; if there wasn't much room for them all, I'd happily give my room to one of the boys, providing it wasn't Naruto.

Gaara was slouched across one couch, one leg resting on the arm of the sofa, the other dangling off the side. His dark red fringe almost hid his sea-green eyes from sight; he turned to glance at me, practically glaring at me with those cold eyes of his. Then he nodded slightly, before closing his eyes and returning to what he was doing.

Sasuke sat next to Lee on the other sofa, running his hands through his hair, his coal-black eyes locked on the T.V screen. His smirk widened as the little characters began to fight; one of them— a huge, bulky gorilla-thing— was being beaten up by the smaller, quicker character.

"What?! Wah, Neji! Let me get a hit in!" Naruto called from the floor, his tanned fingers tapping 'X' repeatedly. He paused, turning to grin at me; "Oh, hi, Tenten! Next time you see Hinata, tell her I said 'hi'! Mr Over—Protective has banned me from going to her house." He jabbed one thumb at Neji, who merely shrugged.

"Who knows what filthy thoughts that childish mind of yours has," He murmured, before jabbing 'Y' a few more times, just as Naruto pressed 'B'.

The characters on the screen collided and then fell still.

There was a tense silence in the room, and I rolled my eyes.

Finally— slowly, but surely— the smaller figure pulled herself to her feet; there was a close up of her blurry, distorted face, and then Lee let out a small cheer.

"Neji wins again!" He paused, tilting his head. "Shikamaru is late."

"Again." Sasuke muttered.

"Like always." Naruto continued, before grinning at me. "Eh, Tenten…? Could you make some drinks? S'only, I really need to beat Neji, otherwise I would have done it."

I shrugged and wandered out of the room.

The moment I'd finished pouring the drinks, there was a knock on the door. I picked each cup up, balancing them professionally on a random tray I'd found, and then hurried to the door.

"Shikamaru," I greeted, smiling slightly. "Aren't you the one dating Ino?"

He opened one eye and blinked at me. "You'd be Tenten, then? One of her troublesome friends."

"Yeah, that's me; Troublesome Tenten."

A pause.

"Actually, that's pretty correct," I frowned, before passing the tray over to Shikamaru. "Here, since you're going that way, can you drop this off to the guys?"

"…how troublesome…" He murmured, before pausing. "Sadly, I don't think I can carry all of these at once. Could you grab one?"

I sighed dramatically, before taking two off him. "Is it light enough for you now, ickle-Shika-kins?"

He rolled his eyes and didn't bother replying; I giggled slightly, before following him into the front room.

And then gazing at the chaos within.

"Woah, Neji; you said you didn't swing that way."

-

-

((—TRA-LA-LA!  
It's the…  
NEJI SHOW—))

**-**

**-**

"Woah, Neji; you said you didn't swing that way."

Neji paused. He knew what it looked like. He could explain, though.

"I can explain!" Naruto shouted from underneath him, and I laughed.

"No, no; I've been trying to prove that fact for God-knows how long. Thanks for the evidence, Naruto!" I paused, rubbing my chin. "Now, should I tell Hinata not to bother…?"

"No!" The blonde let out a (manly) squeak.

I took a step back, savouring my victory; and what a victory it was! Definitely not the type of thing you wanted an ex-best friend to stumble across, especially when said friend has a mobile phone in her pocket.

I whipped it out, smirking. "Say cheese!" I winked, snapped a photo, and then placed it back in my pocket.

Shikamaru sighed. "How troublesome…"

"I could say the same thing," Sasuke murmured, from his position on top of Neji.

Now, what do _you _think was going on, hey?

I'll explain and you can squeal. 'Kay? Good.

Naruto was lying on his back, his hands pinned above his head, with an expression of what could only be described as that of utmost horror. On top of him, lay Neji, positioned rather crudely over the slightly smaller boy's crotch, one arm twisted behind his back, the other pushing against Naruto's chest in an attempt to push himself back up. Sasuke was sat triumphantly on top of both of them, on Neji's back; he was the one grabbing Naruto's hands and twisting Neji's hand behind his back.

Every now and then, Gaara would deliver a swift kick to Naruto's legs but, otherwise, the red-head lay motionless on the sofa; motionless apart from one hand, which was pressing buttons rapidly on a controller.

Lee had continued playing his game; it seemed Gaara was a formidable opponent.

I sniggered. "God, won't Sakura just _love _seeing this?"

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched; only a slight, subtle, movement, but easy enough to spot if you were looking for the right signs.

Thus confirming my hunch that he might-probably-definitely fancy Sakkie-kins.

"And won't Hinata be so _shocked_?" I continued.

Naruto's horror became, if possible, even clearer to see and Neji scowled.

I frowned.

I thought.

And then I had another brilliant idea.

Evil, but brilliant.

I slipped my phone out of my pocket, cackled, and then sent the photos to everyone on my contacts list.

Which therefore meant Ino, Sakura, Hinata, Kiba, Shino and everyone in my flat, minus Shikamaru and Gaara, would get a copy of The Evidence. Just on cue, Sasuke's phone beeped loudly, and he turned to glower at it— Naruto, however, seemed to have caught on a lot quicker than the others, and shook his head slowly.

I walked away, cackling madly.

I just _love_ being an Evil Mastermind.

-

-

((What really happened (according to Neji):))

Naruto scowled, throwing the controller into Sasuke's hands; Neji smirked at the blonde, triumphant once again.

Another victory to Mr Perfect.

"Asshole," Naruto muttered, still scowling, and turned to sulk.

"Face it, Naruto," Lee chuckled, patting his friend on the back. "You're an excellent ninja, but you still haven't mastered Neji's youthful skills. You still can't get that 'XXY' combo right and, until you can do that, you'll never be able to beat a true genius."

Neji snorted. "He can't even beat Uchiha, Lee-."

"Hn."

"-And when he beats you, it's his lucky day. He fails at this game, and a failure he'll stay."

"Nah-ah!" Naruto argued, glaring at his friend.

"Uh-huh."

"Nah-ah!"

"Uh-huh."

"Nah-ah!"

"Uh-huh."

((—yes, before you ask; that actually happened. Neji _does _have a sense of humour and he _can _be a nice guy. And I checked. Lee, Sasuke and Gaara confirmed it.

…

…If two 'hn's and a 'youthful yes!' count as a confirmation.))

"You'll never settle this…" Sasuke muttered, narrowing his eyes as he began to whoop Lee's ass with his famous 'XXXX' followed by his special move, 'Chidori', combo. "So shut up."

"Fight." Gaara murmured, rolling over to gaze at the pair interestedly. If there was two things he liked, it was violence and his friends making utter fools out of themselves.

"That's childish." Neji said just as Naruto yelled, "Bring it!"

The pair glowered at each other.

And then IT happened.

Naruto threw himself across the floor whilst Neji, in one swift motion, pushed himself lightly off the ground. The blonde rolled clumsily, stood, and then glared at the taller one; Neji smirked and then tackled Naruto to the ground.

Since he weighed less, didn't go to Gai's dojo, and was completely startled, Naruto went down quite quickly.

((—I agree. It wasn't a fair fight. REMATCH!))

"I win." Neji's smirk widened.

"HEY! That's not fair-!"

"Wrong, Hyuuga." Sasuke murmured. "I win." And, before Neji could turn around, Sasuke had pushed him against Naruto and was sitting, comfortably, on the prodigy's back.

There was silence.

"Gaara…?" Lee piped up. "Versus match?"

((—don't you just love Lee? He ignored them! How adorable!))

"_If anyone sees this, I will kill you," Neji mumbled into Naruto's chest; there was a "Hey! That tickles!" from said blonde, but Sasuke didn't bother replying._

_Gaara did, however. _

"_Too late."_

"_Woah, Neji; you said you didn't swing that way."_

((…and the rest is history.))


	5. hour of the dates and mates, xxxxx

-

-

STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIED

-

-

_little  
miss_

—

—

**UNFORGETTABLE—!**

-

-

((chapter four))

—i thought love was only true in fairy tales;  
meant for someone else  
but not for me…  
—love was out to get me; that's the way it seems  
disappointment haunted all my dreams…

**-**

**-**

I decided to stay with Lee and the guys after all.

I sat and laughed with them, whooped both Sasuke's and Neji's arrogant behinds on the Xbox (and then proceeded to get my ass whooped by Naruto, but I'll ignore that) and ate pepperoni pizza with them.

Gaara even laughed at the many embarrassing situations I'd gotten myself into, as I told them about my horror at hearing that Neji had come back and, to make things even worse, he was going to be sleeping on my (well, Lee's) camp-bed.

I didn't tell them about my shameless flirting with Kiba or when Neji'd hugged me.

Or talking with Hinata and Sakura.

Okay, so I just told them the funny bits; plaiting Neji's hair, dressing him up as a girl, etcetera… I missed out the fact that I may have, might have, definitely have, fallen in love with him.

((—looking back, I think they already knew.))

He rarely spoke as well, unless it was to point out something more embarrassing that I'd done or correct the extremely biased endings of the stories I told.

We never met each other's eyes once.

I was glad when Naruto took over, grinning and slapping me on the back, before nodding at Lee. Lee nodded back, as though the two were sharing a dirty little secret, and then unplugged the Xbox; he smiled happily at me.

"Tenten, tonight is Movie Night! Everyone picks out a movie, or brings one with them, and then we toss a coin to see which we watch! I even bought popcorn!" Lee laughed, and I rolled my eyes.

"But won't you all pick horror or something with guns and war and… boy-ish stuff?" I asked meekly, leaning back against the sofa Gaara was currently lying on; he flicked my head in annoyance, but otherwise made no attempt to move me. (Hey; a flick on the head is practically Gaara saying he loves you; especially when you remember it is Gaara we're talking about. Yes; the same Gaara who looks like he should be the hunky twin of Ronald McDonald, but is actually a distant cousin of Freddie Kruger.)

Lee shook his head. "No, no! We have to pick a different movie, each from a different genre! I do science-fiction and alien-movies… And we each take it in turns to pick them from our genre. So, it's one movie per sleepover!"

"I do horror," Gaara murmured; no surprises there, then.

"Comedy!" Naruto cheered, and Neji rolled his eyes, muttering, "I pick the action films."

Shikamaru yawned, stretching from his position on the floor. "And I choose a film from the recently released." He sighed wearily. "What a drag…"

I blinked at Sasuke.

"Then you're…"

_Silence._

Neji raised an eyebrow, smirking pointedly, and Sasuke glowered in the opposite direction. Naruto and Lee only just managed to stifle their laughter, whilst Shikamaru looked like he was just about to smile. Gaara flicked my head again.

My eyes widened and I sniggered. "Romance?! You guys actually watch that stuff? Even I get bored of chick-flicks and I'm a chick!"

"I couldn't tell," Sasuke muttered, scowling at me.

"I'll ignore that childish comment—" I froze. "Hey, hold up. Sasuke equals romance, right? But isn't a guys idea of romance porn or something?"

The entire room burst out laughing.

"Sasuke?! _Porn_?!" Naruto roared, clutching his stomach with laughter. "Yeah, so he's got every girl drooling over him; so what? He still blushes when you say the word 'sex'!"

As if to prove Naruto's point, the Uchiha turned a bright red.

"I do not!" Scowl. "Moron!"

"You're blushing right now, bastard!"

"Idiot."

"Dick—"

"—all right, all right!" I grinned, jerking my thumb in the direction of the T.V. "Hurry up and get this show on the road, then!"

-

-

**O**ne **O**f **T**he **G**uys

**(hour of the dates and mates)**

**-**

**-**

We chose which film we watched in an adult-like, mature, manner.

"Rock, paper, scissors!"

Six fists were thrust into the middle of the circle accompanied by one lazy, upturned palm; Shikamaru rolled his eyes, before turning to his bag and grabbing a small box which lay on top of it.

Lee's eyes widened with excitement. "I lined up for an hour to get that and there were none left!"

Shikamaru yawned once again. "I took one of the last ones. It was troublesome; I had to line up for ages and even then idiots dressed up as Batman and Robin kept cutting in front of me."

"Heath Ledger was supposed to be an amazing Joker." Sasuke murmured, his voice laced with something close to awe as he took the DVD easily from Shikamaru's hands and examined it.

"He was fucking epic!" Naruto chimed in, grinning happily; I found myself smiling slightly— simply due to the fact that Naruto's the type of person who'd quite happily use swear-words to describe just how epic someone was.

"I liked him in The Brothers Grimm," I paused, scratching my head. "I mean, he wasn't as good-looking as the other one but…"

"That film sucked." Gaara stated, effectively ending the conversation and forcing Lee to slip the DVD into the DVD player, just to end the awkward silence.

For at least fifteen minutes, we watched in awe.

"_I'm betting The Joker told you to kill me as soon as we loaded the cash," The first clown cried, pointing his gun at the other; at his accomplice._

"_No. No, no, no. I kill the bus driver." _

"_Bus driver? What bus dri__—?"_

I sniggered slightly as, sure enough, a bus crashed through the wall of the bank and killed the first little figure.

"That's The Joker, that's The Joker!" Naruto pointed out, jabbing his finger at the second clown.

"Way to ruin it for us, dumbass," Sasuke rolled his eyes, watching as yet another thug died. Some injured guy began to ramble on the screen, shutting both of the boys up as they watched the final clown, the last man standing, wander over to him. We gasped as The Joker revealed himself; I found myself, rather strangely, fan-girling over a psychotic killer.

But, come on.

He was _so_ fit.

"_How about a magic trick?" The Joker smiled, balancing his pencil on the table. "I'm going to make this pencil disappear."_

_A threatening thug sauntered over to him, cracking his knuckles menacingly; he stopped just in front of the other, raised his fist and-!_

_Bang!_

"_Ta-daa! It's… It's gone."_

Yep.

I am now The Joker's number one fan-girl.

It was a great film; the type of film you watch once, gasp in amazement, and then can't watch again because you just know it won't be as awesome. I have to admit, though, it wasn't a particularly scary film; thrilling, yes, but not _scary. _Not **The Ring** scary— which, I'll have you know, wasn't particularly scary at all. Not **The Shining** scary. Not even **Monster House **scary. Even The Joker— as epically epic as he was— wasn't particularly scary.

But I was sat next to Neji, and the dimmed lights and fluffy duvets made the overall atmosphere extremely cosy, and I was cold because no one had put the radiator on; and, besides, Naruto stole my blanket, the bastard!

So I snuggled up to Neji; purely for warmth! There was nothing remotely romantic about it. So he was attractive, and I had my face buried in his t-shirt and I wasn't really watching the film; so he had his arm around me, hugging my body closer to his.

But I bet he was cold too!

-

-

"_You _hugged_ him?" _Sakura murmured down the phone in disbelief, when I'd called her the day after. Hey, I needed to talk to someone and both Hinata and Ino were out; what were the chances of that? And a certain pinkette didn't have a date, was probably lonely, and totally needed me to ramble at her for God-knows-how long!

"No, not really. Sort of. Kind of. I don't know. Maybe." I bit my lip, playing with the edge of my blouse.

"_And he hugged you back?"_

"Well, yeah, I s'pose, if you think of it that way. But, like I said, it was cold and I was cold, so I just bet he was cold too, and... One thing led to another, y'know?"

That was one way of putting it.

One thing _had_ led to another…

-

-

"Woah, sorry to disturb you two love-birds, but the film's finished."

I blinked, untangling myself from Neji's t-shirt and gazed blearily at the other boys. I'd been about to fall asleep, I just knew it, _and _I'd missed the rest of the film!

…but I'd been about to fall asleep in _Neji's_ arms.

"…hn." Neji murmured, his voice close to my ear; I glanced upwards, still slightly dazed, and realized he'd been leaning on me. It almost looked like he'd been about to fall asleep too.

"But if we're going to stay up too late for you, Hyuuga, you can go to bed now," Sasuke sneered, crossing his arms and looking extremely smug and superior.

The brunette next to me considered something.

And then he smiled.

"…I think I might." He murmured, brushing himself off and standing up. He paused, turned to me and then pulled me to my feet; I'm ashamed to say that I didn't look particularly flirtatious and seductive. I'd just almost-fallen asleep, my hair was a mess, and I looked like the She-Hulk. But probably not as green. "Are you coming, Tenten?"

"Sure, sure..." I waved my hand airily at Lee, yawning widely. "See you tomorrow… and don't stay up too late."

Lee just grinned as I was led away by Neji. We walked slowly to my room; my hand fell neatly into place, clutching his. He turned and smiled at me, all traces of sleep vanishing from his eyes, and I grinned blearily back. He pushed open my bedroom door and then gently pushed me inside. "Get changed into pajamas, Tennie; you obviously need some sleep."

"You… you haven't called me Tennie since we were kids."

Neji merely smiled and let the door swing gently to a shut. I peered desperately at the door for a few seconds, wanting Neji to walk back in, wanting him to be the same as he was when he was seven and I could say he had pretty eyes, and he would blush. But he didn't, so I put on my spotty pajamas and opened the door. He was stood outside, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed and I had to tap him a few times to get him to notice me.

He smiled. "Done already?"

"Uh-huh."

And then his smile wavered and he looked sad; so terribly, terribly sad. I bit my lip, looking at him, and his smile turned just as sad as his eyes. "I was an idiot, right? I left you; I _lost_ you. I am such an idiot."

I nodded. "You _are_ an idiot."

He rolled his eyes. "Thanks for making me feel better."

I closed my eyes and smiled; and my heart pounded in my chest, thumping so loudly I thought even Lee would be able to hear it. "But you _never_ lost me. Never." I know I blushed; it would be just like me to get all embarrassed when I was trying to be romantic. "I thought I'd lost you; I don't know why you left me and, at the moment, it isn't important."

Neji's eyes softened and he reached tentatively for me. My smile widened, I took a step forward, and then he pulled me into his arms, embracing me like we were long, lost lovers. (Which, in a sense, we were.) He pressed his lips against the top of my head and I buried my face into his chest, with my arms wrapped around his neck and his arms hugging me closer to him.

We stood absolutely still, just holding each other, until someone coughed and _rudely _interrupted my clichéd romantic moment.

Neji blinked, looking up at the newcomer; obviously there was no chance of me seeing, since the Hyuuga was still crushing my face against his chest. "Gaara." I heard him murmur.

"Hyuuga." The red-head was no doubt smirking; the evil bastard! I'll have you know, I am _not _lovin' it! "Naruto wanted someone to check up on you. To make sure you were… _behaving_."

I scowled. "Tell— oof— Naruto to— mmf— off."

Neji chuckled dryly. "I second that motion."

"Of course. I'll make sure to pass on your completely mature statement." Gaara snickered slightly, turned, and left. I giggled as well, despite myself, as I heard Naruto's roar of protest.

Neji shook his head in vague disbelief, before turning to look at me. "Now, where were we…?"

-

-

"_You c—cannot be s—serious!" _Hinata gasped, when I finally managed to ring her and tell her my news.

I chuckled in response. "Yeah, I'm totally serious. God, I feel different. I'm all giggly and obnoxiously happy. I feel like I'm walking on sunshine. Wooah! And don't it feel good?"

_"Y__—you tell m—me," _Hinata replied, before giggling as well. _"Oh, T—Tennie; y—you must be so h—happy!"_

"I am."

"_I b—bet he's really h—happy too."_

A smile.

"He definitely is."

-

-

We stood together, embracing each other, for a couple more minutes, and then I finally pulled away, blushing furiously. It wasn't like me to blush, but I'd outdone Hinata in just a few seconds.

He chuckled, grabbed my hand and then practically dragged me into my bedroom. "You should go to sleep, Tenten. You look like you're one step away from sticking your arms out and moaning, 'braaaaiins'."

I pouted and crossed my arms. "Sleep with me, then."

This time, _he _turned red.

I blinked, blinked again, and then realized what I'd said. "Woah, woah; not like _that!_ It's just, since we're now a couple and stuff, I thought I could trust you to hold me while I sleep. Like we did during the film; which was awesome, by the way, I just happened to be cold and tired. But, if it'll make you feel uncomfortable, then—"

"—Tenten. Stop rambling."

I shut up.

He chuckled, ran a hand through his hair, and then sat down on my bed. He patted the space next to him, closest to the wall, and I sat down as well. It was almost like destiny was prodding us into action; hesitantly, we moved closer together and lay down, my head tucked underneath his chin, his arms draped across my body.

I listened to his heartbeat; it was slow and comforting and oddly relaxing. It was also familiar and so wonderful— it was Neji and that regular '_thud, thud' _meant I wasn't dreaming and that I wasn't going to wake up. Because, after all, no dream could be so perfect.

I tilted my face up to his, he leaned down, and then we kissed. Nothing special, really; it wasn't particularly long, there were no tongues, but it was so romantic. Just his lips brushing softly against mine, and I was shivering with delight.

Then he smiled, closing his eyes. "Sleep, Tennie."

So I did.

-

-

"_Aw, that's so cute! So cute and amazing and romantic! You're so lucky, girl!" _Ino's voice reassured me repeatedly, when I called her last. _"Jeez, if Shikamaru were that romantic… I should be so lucky, right?"_

I laughed. "C'mon, just use the good-ol' Ino charms."

"_I would, but I think Temari's trying to turn it into a competition. She turns up at all of our dates with some white-haired guy who looks like he's stoned; I think she's trying to make Shikamaru jealous, y'know? And, I think she's better at—"_

"Ino," I cut her off dully, frowning. "Remember who you are. Ino; the drop-dead gorgeous, sexy, seductive vixen! You are the star of the Ino Show, and Shikamaru is your Prince Charming; Temari's just the ugly step-sister type character and good always wins!"

The blonde giggled. _"You always know what to say, Tenten. I'm glad you're my BFFL. We should totally work on a secret handshake."_

"I'm on it—"

Two strong arms wrapped around my waist, cutting me off, and Neji's soft hair trickled across my bare shoulders. He yawned, poking my side. "Tell her to go away."

I placed my hand over the phone, covering it, and hissed at the arrogant bastard. "She's my best friend! I can't just tell her to piss off!" I turned back to the phone, sighed, and opened my mouth to speak.

"_Don't worry, Tenten," _Ino chuckled. _"I can tell you and Neji want some alone time— tell him to speak about more quietly next time, that overly-gorgeous bastard. Call me later, okay, and expect an hour-long chat."_

I grinned happily at the phone. "You're the best, Ino!"

"_I know."_

-

-

Neji's idea of a first date wasn't exactly what I thought it would be; we ended up sat in the front room with Lee, laughing together. Neji cooked for all three of us, beat Lee on the Xbox twice, and then excused us.

Lee grinned as he watched us go and I gave him the thumbs-up in return.

We walked past Anko, hand in hand, and the receptionist shook her head in amazement. We walked together, laughing and chatting like young couples do, and then we walked through the park.

And it was romantic.

Beautifully so.

((—if we were a movie  
You'd be the right guy  
And I'd be the best friend  
That you'd fall in love with  
In the end, we'd be laughin'; watchin' the sunset  
Fade to black, show the names, play that happy song…))

Damn Hannah Montana and her over-played songs!

(Btw, I'm a proud supporter of LOLiver. 'kay?)

But, clichéd songs aside, I loved it. More than anything. And I loved him more than anything (well, maybe not more than my BFFL's but, at that moment, they'd taken second place).

I loved him.

And he loved me.

-

-

No matter what happens.

I'll be okay.

((—it can never last…))

Just tell myself...

I'm going to make this happen; I'll never doubt him or myself again.

I'll be okay.

((—there are too many secrets…))

I love him.

He loves me.

And we're in love.

((—why did he leave anyway?))

He's holding me and loving me and hugging me and being with me. But I just can't help that one feeling; or, rather, I can't help the fact that I _lack _that one feeling for him.

Trust.

Jeez, I must have developed Abandonment Issues.

I'm going to keep my_ love locked down_.

Thank you, Kanye-darling.

...

I can't help it.

I love him.

I love him, I love him, I love him.

...

I really do have Neji issues.

**Author's Note:**

Ugh, I watched the Ring yesterday. It was boring and totally not scary; I might have to watch the original to see if it's any better.  
x


	6. hour of the revelations, xxxxxx

**-**

**-**

STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIED

-

-

…_lit_tle

…_mi_ss

…_un__**forg**_**et**table

-

-

((chapter five))

—in a trap, trip, i can't grip,  
never thought i'd be the one who'd slip  
…then i started to realize  
—i was living one big lie

**-**

**-**

I'm not going to act like everything went wrong straight away. No, to begin with, everything was perfect. Really. Neji was wonderful and I really thought I was in love.

Well, I _was_, but that's beside the point!

No, I thought everything was perfect; I thought _he _thought everything was perfect, too. But, as Sakura pointed out multiple times, guys get very good at acting.

At first, I could tell it wasn't acting. He smiled like he did when we were young and he let me act like I used to; it was like we went back in time and got ourselves stuck in an extremely entertaining time-warp. We stayed out late partying, which was a somewhat new experience (oh, I'd partied; I normally passed out though, instead of partying) and we watched movies. We went out on dates and we held hands and we ate at posh restaurants.

Hinata thought we looked like the perfect couple.

Sakura congratulated me.

Ino told me the truth. "He's bored. You're doing the same thing over and over and over again. Do something different!"

It _is _a well known fact that guys can become bored very easily, but I kidded myself that Neji was different. Well, yeah, he was different; he was more mature and funnier and a total sex God, but he was also a guy.

And, let's face it…

Guys can't help but be guys.

And of course Ino'd know. I just didn't listen. I acted like I hadn't heard her and we went on the same dates and did the same things; he smiled in the same way and I held his hand in the same way.

And it all seemed forced.

Tch, it's my fault, I know. And I'm whining, I know. But I have to whine and moan and complain. Because I lost him again. Again. Plus, I can't blame it on him this time.

Because I lost him on my own.

...

After three months of dating again, he left.

-

-

**T**he **B**reak **U**p **A**nd **t**he **M**ake **U**p

**(hour of the revelations)**

-

-

"_Ugh, Tennie, seriously; please, just stop whining. You're driving me completely and totally insane."_

"Aw, come _on_, Sakura. Give me a break. I screwed up big time. I mean, seriously; biiiiig time. Hug?"

"_No chance."_

"Come on!"

"_No. Listen, Tenten— this is your own fault."_

"Tch, what am _I _going to do? He's already gone."

"_You're going to sort it out. Now. Before this gets any worse. Text him, email him, call him— just do something! And hurry up. My mobile is almost out of battery and you're the only person who's called me."_

"I've only been talking for a few minutes!"

"_It's been three hours, Tenten, and you sound like a broken record."_

"I _am _a broken record! Whichever moron wrote my life gave up halfway through, and just decided to copy and paste the beginning. It's not fair. _Your _life is going fine."

"_That's because my relationship with Sasuke wasn't boring."_

"Ouch. Besides, I don't think that's the real reason, anyway— maybe—"

"—_sorry, Tennie. You're making me cranky."_

"Blunt, aren't you?"

"_Stop making me look like the bad guy! You're— you're—! UGH! You're impossible!"_

**Beeep.**

I blinked.

She hung up.

Well, this _blows._

-

-

So I had a real, proper epiphany— not the stupid ideas I had when I'd first tried to get over Neji and it was nothing silly. It was entirely simple.

And I decided I was going to try harder.

I put on some make-up, straightened my hair and didn't put it up into my trade-mark two buns, and spent at least an hour picking my outfit. I chose a skimpy black dress, plus jeans (since my legs mucho suck) and dolly-shoes. I smiled at a gob-smacked Lee, kissed his cheek, and said "I'll be back late; don't wait up."

He nodded and smiled. "Look at you, Tennie; you're all grown up!"

"Pfft, don't make me blush." I waved goodbye and left, tugging my phone out of my pocket as I did so. I scrolled through my contacts until I found his name.

**N**eji, Gorgeous

I waited for his voice.

"_Tenten."_

He sounded worn out; tired and sad. Like I'd made him tired; made him sad; just because he'd heard my voice. I bit my lip, suddenly unsure. "Neji, can I come round? We need to talk."

"_Maybe now isn't a good time, but… wait, we do?"_

"Yeah. I don't know if you felt the same way as me, but I know I screwed up and I want to have another try. Please? Will you think about it? Can we talk?"

He didn't reply.

"Moron! I straightened my hair for you!"

A chuckle.

"_Really? You hated doing stuff to your hair; if I remember correctly, you always did it to mine."_

"Yeah, well; it took an hour and I burnt all my fingers. Come on! Think of all the hard work I've put into it; say yes, please. Please! Pleeeease." I was begging him, I knew it, but I also knew he liked the idea of me spending some time dressing up, just to see him.

I could practically hear the smile in his voice.

"_Fine. Come right over. I've just got to get dressed first."_

"That really isn't a necessity."

"…_Tenten."_

"Alright, alright! Sheesh! See you then, Neji!" I let him go, flipped my phone shut, and then waited for a taxi; after a moment's consideration, I shook my head and began to walk towards the park. Nothing like a good ol' Kiba/Shino reunion to cheer a gal up!

I wandered quickly through the park, head down, until I heard a familiar voice. "TENTEN!" And then I was lying on my back, with a dog licking my face. Ugh. The injustice of it all; my hair was going to be so messed up. "Woah, Akamaru; DOWN! Only I'm allowed to lick her! Whoops, sorry Tenten." Kiba grinned sheepishly, yanking me to my feet. "Goin' somewhere nice?"

"Yeah. Neji's house."

"God, I don't get it with you two! On, off, on, off—! Are you on now? Or off?"

"Off," I sniggered. "But I'm going to switch it to 'on' again."

Kiba suddenly looked away, almost sadly. I blinked, confused, and then decided to change the subject. "Kiba! So, uh, where's Shino?"

The dog-boy frowned. "Tch, I wondered that as well. Apparently, he's around Hinata's. They're talkin' and stuff. Not romantically! Nah, she's got Naruto for that. But Shino's just happy talkin'."

"Won't that just make him sad?"

"Makes me sad."

"Oh."

For a second, I thought Kiba was going to continue; he looked torn, and then he grinned. "…so, footie? Now? Or, y'know, on your way back? Come back through the park! I'm lonely an' stuff! Pleeeease?" Kiba grinned, switching on his famous puppy-dog-eyes and I melted.

"Fine," said gooey-pile-of-mushy-stuff Tenten.

Kiba merely grinned. "Go and get him, tiger. Rawr."

"Rawr, indeed."

-

-

I whistled as I walked, happy as I could possibly be; I was going to see Neji again and we were going to be friends, and then more than friends, and then back to BFFL and boyfriend and girlfriend. Yup; life was officially perfect.

Well…

—it was until I saw slut-face standing outside his front-door, mascara running, screaming his name. Her hair was pink; but not Sakura-pink. This was a skanky darker pink and she was wearing practically nothing. A short skirt and sparkling pink boob-tube. I scowled and did what any almost-his-girlfriend would do.

I hid.

"NEJI! NEJI, LET ME IN! I LOVE YOU!"

Like hell you do.

_I _love him.

"Karin." I blinked, startled; he'd appeared behind, smirking slightly. "When I disappeared, that's what I was doing."

"You were doing Karin?!" I practically shrieked, my eyes wide in horror— pleasesaynopleasesaynopleasesayno—

"What?! No! I mean, she was at college with me! I didn't _do_ her." A pause. "She is an ex-girlfriend though. She's actually the reason why I split up with you."

"Huh?" Yes; a witty, mature response.

"She started stalking me; phone-calls and texts and shit. I'm waiting for her to start boiling bunnies; not quite Fatal Attraction yet, though." Scowl. "It's obvious that she's after Uchiha, though; that's why she calls and does this stuff."

He shrugged.

"I just wait for her to go away."

"Hey, that's not a good enough reason to dump your loving, beautiful girlfriend— but I forgive you because you're hot." I winked, frowned, and then stuck my hands on my hips. "Well then; Tenten to the rescue, I suppose!" I smiled cheerily before diving out of my hiding place.

Karin turned to look at me, her face suddenly fixed into a scowl. "_Who_ are _you_?"

"Neji's girlfriend; the spectacularly awesome, Kim Possible!"

Heh. We used to do that; Sakura was the 'super intelligent Brace-Face', Ino the 'hot, hot, hot, Sabrina!' and Hinata the 'cute and angelic, Daphne!' (the last one being from Scooby-Doo, because we all loved that show with a passion!).

She snorted, and then froze. "Girlfriend…? GIRLFRIEND?!"

"Ouch, you're killing my ears."

"I'll kill you, bitch-face. He's mine. M. I. N. E."

I shrugged. "Well, no, he isn't. Right? Dumped you, didn't he? And Sasuke isn't single, either. Just so we've got that sorted." I sighed; this girl…! She was impossible, most certainly; an **E-GoD** for sure.

"Shut up! My relationship with Neji is hot and spicy and on, on, ON!"

"It might have been hot and possibly spicy, though both traits would come from Neji; but it's definitely off, off, off."

"YOU— YOU BITCH!"

Wah! I can't win in a cat-fight! Because, seriously, cat-fights are nothing like real fights. You have to cheat and scratch and claw at your opponent. And, you know, with no fingernails, you can't really scratch or claw. I can cheat! But cheating comes to nothing if you can't scratch or claw.

She launched herself at me, practically spitting acid; I was ready to stand and fight (or be scratched, whatever), but my knight-in-shining-armour stepped in front of me.

"Karin."

I shivered; jeez, when did his voice become so cold?

"N—Neji?"

"Leave. Now." He sighed. "I've already told you, multiple times, that it's over. I'm not telling you again. Just go"

Tears trickled down her cheeks, along with mascara, and then she turned to me, still hissing and spitting. Sheesh, seriously; she looked just like a witch slash bitch. Burn the witch-bitch. "I'll—! I'll be back! And I'll kill you!" She screeched.

I giggled. "It was so much scarier when the Terminator said it."

For a second, she looked as though she was going to laugh— and I was going to take back everything mean I'd said about her and proclaim her to be my newest best friend. Then she sneered, "Funny, dork— why don't you just go back to your nerd-herd?"

With an evil cackle, she flew away on her broomstick like the wicked witch she was.

Neji watched her go, one hand on my shoulder, and then smirked down at me. "I was going to wait for the two of you to fight," he confessed, still smirking. "But then I realized you'd actually straightened your hair and you looked pretty."

I practically let out a roar. "Don't I always look pretty?!"

"Yes, but—" He paused, tugging a piece of my hair playfully. "—this time it's different. You're looking pretty for me… I like it."

I blushed and then turned away, glaring after Karin. "You realize, she will actually be back. She's like this girl Ino was talking about; Gaara's sister. Yeah, Karin's a total **E-GoD**. And she might go after Sakura. I don't know. Am I rambling? I am, aren't I? Gosh, this is uncomfortable."

Neji simply laughed and pulled me inside.

-

-

**You have **5** new text messages.**

**TO: **Tenten Possible  
**FROM: **Sakura-Face

Sorry for snapping at you, babe. Brace-Face says she's sorry. Hug?  
x

**Reply?**

((—yes.))

**TO: **Sakura-Face  
**FROM: **Tenten Possible

No worries, Brace-Face, I was kinda annoying + whiny. Apologies, dear friend. ++ Kim got her guy. It's totally possible.  
Bad joke.  
x

**NEXT MESSAGE**

**TO: **Tenten Possible  
**FROM: **Ino, Sabrina

Wah! E-GoD might be stalking my boyf!  
x

**Reply?**

((—totally!))

**TO: **Ino, Sabrina  
**FROM: **Tenten

Argh, I have one too! Swap?  
x

**NEXT MESSAGE**

**TO: **Tenten Possible  
**FROM: **Kiba

Sorry if I came across as awkward back then. Srsly. Just stressed. Honestly.  
Not often you see the girl you love most growing up. And growing away from you.  
Footie?  
x

**Reply?**

((—wait. Who's this girl? Because seriously, I'll punch her in the face for making you sad—))

**NEXT MESSAGE**

**TO: **Tenten Possible  
**FROM: **Naruto

Ramen, ramen, ramen! Tell Hinata I'd like to treat her to dinner! She still won't give me her number!  
Is that a good sign? I'll ask Sasuke-bastard!

**Reply?**

((—tch. Couldn't text Neji because he'd beat him up. Maybe I should accidentally-on-purpose show Neji the text?))

**NEXT MESSAGE**

**TO: **Tenten Possible  
**FROM: **Neji, Gorgeous

Night.  
x

**Reply?**

**TO: **Neji, Gorgeous  
**FROM: **Tenten Possible

G'night.  
x

**x**

-

**x**

**L**

**o**

**v**

**e **

you. More than anything. Seriously.

((you spin me right round, baby—))

When I'm away from you, it **h u r t s.**

((—right round—))

I know you can't possibly feel the _same_ way.

((—like a record, baby—))

I _don't _want you to feel the same way.

((—right round—))

I love you. Honestly.

((—round—))

Hug?

((—round!))

**x**

-

**x**

_((I, I'm really falling for you))_

"Ugh, Tenten! What is this weird obsession you have?" Neji moaned, pushing yet another teddy off my bed. I scowled at him, sticking my hands on my hips.

"It's not an obsession! They're all presents and I like to keep my presents, y'know?"

Neji smirked. "So if I got you..."

"Shut up!"

_((I hate what you're putting me through))_

"Lie down, then, Tenten." Neji murmured, his voice silky-soft and oh so smooth. I wanted, for just a second, to feel him on top of me; and, I could tell from his eyes, that he wanted me underneath him.

Ugh.

I am NOT supposed to act like a horny guy.

Seriously.

"No, Neji. We're watching Bourne Identity and then, maybe, I'll lie down."

He rolled his eyes. "We've been dating for ages now."

"Yes, and isn't it lovely?"

_((What have you done to me now?))_

"I thought you'd be more excited. It's our anniversary. An entire year of an on-off relationship. Perfect, right?"

I blinked. "It's been an entire year since you showed up at the apartment and I stole your really expensive jacket? God, how time flies. Sorry about that, anyway."

"—sorry about stealing my jacket?"

"I still haven't given it back."

"Tch. It suited you."

_((I just can't sleep at night))_

"…Tenten."

"What?"

"The film's finished. Can we—?"

"No."

"…"

"…give me a hug, and I'll think about it."

_((My bed is wet, don't know how))_

So we hugged; for ages.

It seemed like ages.

And then, suddenly, I was giggling and tugging off his top, and he was smirking and pulling off mine, and we lay there, with our bodies entwined, just smiling and happy.

It might have gone further if I hadn't fallen asleep.

_((Will someone please turn on the light?))_

-

-

I am not the type of girl who punches cute guys.

…that's Sakura. She does it to guys who she likes; depending on how much you rate, you could a huge smack in the face or a gentle flick. She barely touches Sasuke; not because she doesn't love him, but because they're too busy making out to start fist-fighting.

I'm pretty sure she would have smacked Naruto _as well_, if she'd found him crawling across her bed.

"Naruto!" I hissed, glaring at the pile of tangled limbs and blonde hair. "What the hell are you doing?"

Neji rolled over, gazing at me in a sleepy, yet totally amused, way. Naruto gathered himself up and dusted himself off, before smiling directly at me. "Sasuke-bastard said Neji was getting his freak on, so I went to go and see!" He chirped brightly.

I gave him my **DEATH GLARE OF DEATH. **Neji snorted.

"Don't kill me!" Naruto begged, waving his hands in front of his face. "'cause, I totally need your help! Sasuke-teme won't help, Neji would hate me for even asking, and Ino's not particularly good at keeping a secret. I'd have asked Sakura but she was engaging Sasuke in a game of tongue-wrestling."

I sat up, pulling the covers around me; no matter what Naruto had said, Neji hadn't been getting his freak on and all we'd done was cuddled. Was I disappointed? Not really, but maybe.

Tch, did I say it had to make sense?

I shooed Naruto out of the room, before standing up and tugging my dressing gown; Neji watched me wander towards the bathroom, still smirking, and I felt the blood rush to my face. Wah, don't blush, don't blush! I practically zoomed into the bathroom, picking up some random clothes, and got dressed.

When I ambled back into the room, the Hyuuga had turned the other way. The moment I turned my back, there was a muffled, "you look good." And I smiled happily, chirped thanks in return, and then hurried out of the room. Naruto was sat in the kitchen, with three cups of coffee (he seemed to have judged that Neji wasn't going to be waking up anytime soon) and a smiling Lee.

"Ah, Tenten! You look positively youthful!"

"Likewise, Lee, likewise…"

I gulped down my coffee and then grabbed Naruto's arm, yanking him out of his chair; he barely had time to grab his coat, before I was dragging him down the road and towards the shops. "I'm assuming you're getting something for Hinata."

"Actually… I'm picking something up!" He blushed happily, before dragging _me _in the opposite direction.

"Ugh, Uzumaki; you owe me." I said, crossing my arms and pouting miserably. He grinned, nudging me, and then pointed at the shop name. I blinked.

**P**ervy **S**age **P**roductions

"He writes all the books, too! But you can order some of his, uh, _nicer _books if you know what to ask; otherwise, he'll just send you porn. I ordered something nice for Hinata; it's called _Lily, Sweet_. It's really cute. And I also ordered another of his books, about this hero-guy who's parents are dead and shit happens. It looks okay. Bit boring, but okay." Naruto paused, before ushering me inside.

Almost immediately—

"—ah! Fine maiden, you're looking beautiful today; your skin is as soft as the petals of a—Naruto." The old pervert, Jiraiya, looked up from ogling me.

I scowled. My skin was as soft as the petals of a Naruto? BASTARD! I moisturize frequently!

"You'd better believe it! We came for that book!"

"I thought it was for your girlfriend," Jiraiya stated, leaning forwards to peer directly at Naruto (or my non-existent cleavage— well, wouldn't he be disappointed? PERVERT!). "That isn't your girlfriend. If I remember correctly, this is the girl Hyuuga likes to talk about when he has to go shopping with you and Sasuke. Tenten, right?"

I twisted around, glowering at Naruto. "You shop for porn?"

"N—no! It was Sasuke's idea of a joke, for Gaara's birthday!"

I blinked. "Sasuke has a sense of humor? A slightly twisted one at that."

"…well, it might have been my idea— but hey, who cares?" Naruto ran one hand sheepishly through his hair, before turning to Jiraiya. "Right, old man, I want those books now. And don't try and give me stuff I didn't ask for! I don't want you tainting Hinata's innocent mind."

Jiraiya rolled his eyes and murmured something which sounded like, "no woman is_ ever_ innocent—" and then he disappeared into the back of his shop; meanwhile, I swirled around, trying to find something that wasn't xxx-rated; and then blatantly wtf-ed.

"Naruto, why the hell would anyone want to do _that _with _that_?!" I screeched, placing one hand over my eyes; it was truly scaring.

Sure enough, the blonde wandered over and gazed at it, before shuddering. "Ugh. Trust you to spot the most obscene, disgusting-looking and totally-uncomfortable pose—"

"—ooh, he has yaoi!"

The time, Naruto let out a screech. "I still don't get why women find that attractive! You know what's creepy? Having some older kid run up to you, when you were in fifth grade, so that they could show you a yaoi-drawing of you and your prick of a best friend!"

I turned around, mildly interested. "Someone drew you and Sasuke having it out? Who was top?"

Naruto just scowled. "_That's _why it was totally unrealistic; but Neji and Sasuke didn't think so— which is why he's still in the closet and doesn't deserve Sakura! But, nooo! Kiba kept yelling, "bottom, bitch!" whenever I passed him. ARGH! I hate that ass-faced dog-boy! And Sasuke-teme! And the ice-cube! And that drawing kid!"

I sniggered, before poking him. "Bottom, bitch."

"UGH."

Then I burst out into hysterics, and had to lean against a pile of books to keep myself calm; then I saw what the books were and hell did I freak out! Naruto watched me squeal for a while, before beginning to laugh as well. We stood there, laughing and laughing, and then Jiraiya walked back in and stared at us like we were completely insane.

"Your, uh, books, kid." He paused, watching as a few of his precious customers slipped out of the shop. He scowled and threw us out, sighing dramatically. "Have fun, Naruto, Tenten."

Needless to say, it took us a whole fifteen minutes to stop laughing and stagger back home. For some reason, I avoided the park. Naruto didn't particularly notice, since he was too busy complaining of stomach aches, but I did.

It was… strange.

I loved walking through the park, because I got to see Kiba, but, for some reason…

It just felt wrong.

I shrugged the feeling away, waved briefly at Anko (who blatantly checked Naruto out, practically undressing him with her eyes; I was waiting for her to do that creepy neck and-slash-or-anything-she-could-find licking thing), and then continued on our way to the apartment. I gazed briefly at the book he'd bought, skimmed through it, and then handed it back to Naruto; it was quite a sweet little thing, really.

I might have to borrow it off Hinata.

-

-

**TO:** Sakura-Face  
Ino, Sabrina  
Hinata-Dooby-Doo  
**FROM:** Tenten Possible

I'm not screwing up this time. Cheer for me?  
x

* * *

**Author's Note;**

For those of you who didn't understand the Neji+Tenten bit, when they're lying in bed, it was, for lack of other words, Neji getting his freak on. Or trying to.  
To tell you the truth, I have lost all interest in the fic. As far as I'm concerned, that's the ending; Neji and Tenten are back together, and everyone else is happy. Sorry for all of you who liked this fic, but I think it's relatively childish when compared to what I can write. So, this is the end for Little Miss Unforgettable.  
And I hope it is unforgettable.

GYAH, BAD JOKE.  
x


End file.
